For a while, it seemed like healthcare jobs were all the rage. Then, IT came to the forefront with major hiring announcements from IBM and strong local businesses like Liquid Web and TechSmith playing bigger roles in the community. Most recently, the buzz has been about insurance and financial services, with major developments like the MSUFCU headquarters being opened or construction beginning on the Accident Fund headquarters.

But, of course, the healthcare industry hasn’t been as quiet as it seems. So, what has been happening in the healthcare industry?

Locally, retention at healthcare employers is better than ever, according to Julianne Rose, executive director of the Capital Healthcare and Employment Council. Rose leads a group of healthcare employers that work together to address the industry’s workforce challenges.

Increased retention is great for businesses in that they reduce training and orientation costs and build a workforce of highly skilled individuals who are extremely knowledgeable about the company.

Many employers aren’t sure of the reason for the improvements in retention. Undoubtedly, the economy is playing a big role. But local businesses have also come together through the council in recent years to focus on retention and improve workplace culture. Businesses may now be seeing the positive results of their actions.

Regardless, while increased retention is a positive for healthcare employers, fewer vacancies mean less openings and less hiring. While hiring in healthcare has not halted completely, it has slowed considerably. According to Michigan Bureau of Labor Market Information data, while healthcare and social assistance still grew .8 percent from July 2008 to July 2009, that was down from 2.8 percent over the same period the previous year—and way down from years before that. Amid reports of layoffs at well-known healthcare employers, there have also been new facilities and growth at others to level out the trend line.

It may not be much, but when the economy as a whole shrank by 4.3 percent during that same time period, it validates the recent growth in both size and demand for health-related education in Greater Lansing, and the importance of employers’ efforts to collaborate and strengthen the industry.

One such recent collaboration was a partnership that earned Hayes Green Beach Memorial Hospital, Ingham Regional Medical Center and Sparrow Health System awards from Capital Area Michigan Works! for 2009 Employers of the Year.

Together, the hospitals partnered with the Capital Healthcare and Employment Council and Lansing Community College to identify candidates, screen them and offer scholarships to dozens of local residents struggling to find work. The individuals get tuition for healthcare training and the employers get to hand pick potential employees and ensure they get the right skills. The No Worker Left Behind program through Capital Area Michigan Works! covers the cost of training.

“It’s a win-win-win situation,” explains Rose, who headed the effort. The council hopes to focus on more efforts of the nature in 2010. “As we continue to diversify the Greater Lansing economy, we can’t forget the important role healthcare has played, and will continue to play, in our economic transformation.”

For more information on the Capital Healthcare and Employment Council, visit www.capitalhealthcare.org.

		Doug Stites is the chief executive officer of Capital Area Michigan Works!, a network of resources that partners with businesses to develop recruiting and retention strategies and partners with job seekers to enhance education and career opportunities. On the Web at www.camw.org.