Mercy Health, Guild Education to collaborate

Mercy Health announced Oct. 13 a collaboration with Guild Education, the nation’s leading education and upskilling platform, to offer an innovative education program to eligible Mercy Health associates.

Mercy Health will pay 100% of all part-time and full time associates’ tuition and fees for select clinical pathways including nursing, medical assistant and laboratory programs, according to a news release from Mercy Health.

Associates are eligible on day one of employment, the release said.

Additionally, this new education program will cover tuition assistance and tuition reimbursement for 115 academic programs, undergraduate degrees, graduate degrees and nursing degrees.

“We are committed to providing career growth to our associates as they serve our patients,” said Mercy Health — Lorain President Ed Oley. “Our collaboration with Guild will open many doors for our associates, enabling them to realize their career aspirations and enhancing their ability to care for our communities.”

Recent reports show that registered nursing is the fifth-most in-demand job in the American workforce, according to the release.

To address the current labor shortage, 1.2 million new registered nurses will be needed in the United States by 2030, the release said.

And according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, overall employment in health care jobs is projected to grow 16% from 2020 to 2030 — much faster than the average for all occupations — adding an estimated 2.6 million new jobs.

Mercy Health has collaborated with Guild Education to help meet this demand and offer a range of educational programs to support associates with their career growth including a bachelor of science in nursing, clinical certifications for pharmacy technician and medical assistant, master’s degree in data analytics and more.

These programs are provided by 16 of the nation’s leading universities and learning partners in Guild’s Learning Marketplace, the release said.

From day one of participating in the program, Guild provides personalized coaches to support associates’ educational journeys — from enrollment to graduation, according to the release.

“Our health care sector has carried our country on its shoulders throughout the last 18 months, but our hospitals and providers are now facing significant challenges in the war for talent,” said Rachel Carlson, CEO and co-founder of Guild Education. “We’re honored to partner with Bon Secours Mercy Health to fill in-demand jobs today and build towards careers of tomorrow.”

Mercy Health designed this program with its associates at the core, whether they want to learn new skills in their current role or grow into new roles within the ministry.