Central NC Partnership for Public Health

1 Workforce Development: Recruitment and Retention of a Diverse Workforce

Map of NC with Central Partnership counties highlighted

The Central Partnership aims to create innovations in implementing a robust pipeline strategy for workforce recruitment and retention. More than half of North Carolina's public health workforce prepares to retire in the coming years while the population of our state grows at an unprecedented rate.

To address this problem, the Central Partnership will develop a best practice and performance management policy workbook, will develop materials for career fairs across North Carolina, and will coordinate efforts with local and national programs such as the Association of Schools of Public Health, the Southeast Public Health Training Center, and Area Health Education Centers.

In 2009, the Central Partnership will host a statewide summit to disseminate best practices and present findings to human resource directors at the county and state government levels.

Resources

Summary of Public Health Workforce Development, Recruitment and Retention Initiatives in the Central Partnership for Public Health
This report provides a summary of public health workforce development, recruitment, and retention initiatives from 2005-07 in the Central Partnership.

Summary of Public Health Workforce Development, Recruitment, and Retention Initiatives (pdf)

Public Health Improvement Partnership Workforce Development Committee
Washington State Department of Health initiative, the Public Health Improvement Partnership (PHIP), established a Workforce Development Committee to ensure its employees have access to training (including orientations, mentoring, web-based learning, distance learning, and leadership development). The committee provides a number of resources related to recruitment and retention including:

  • Job Search Website Overview (pdf)
    This document provides a list of common public health job search websites, information for employee-seekers seeking to use such websites, and job-seekers interested in finding jobs in public health.
  • Recruitment Tips (pdf)
    This document provides a simple list of recruitment tips.

OTHER PUBLIC HEALTH Recruitment Resources

  • What is Public Health? Presentation (ppt) The provided presentation provided by Dr. Dennis Bertram, Director of the MPH program at the School of Public Health and Health Professions, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, provides an excellent overview of what public health is, shares helpful examples, and outlines the ten essential services.
  • Healthiest Nation in One Generation This inspirational public health campaign by the American Public Health Assocation (APHA) challenges Americans to become the healthiest nation in the world - in only one generation's time. Learn more about this inspirational campaign and see excellent complementary video (also available on YouTube)

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH Recruitment Resources


 

Tools Developed

Introducing NCPublicHealthCareers.com: A NEW way to recruit for NC Public Health! 

  • New North Carolina public health recruitment and social marketing tool developed by public health practitioners for public health practice. NCPublicHealthCareers.com is now available for both practitioners looking to recruit, and young people interested in learning more about NC public health!  Learn more…

Central North Carolina Public Health Incubator:
Strategic Public Health Workforce Planning and Development Report by the Mejorando Group (2006)
This report, a comprehensive Workforce Plan to the Central North Carolina Public Health Incubator/Region V of the North Carolina Health Directors Association, includes recommendations to augment efforts at recruiting, retaining and developing agency talent.

Central Partnership for Public Health Workforce Project: Staff Focus Groups Summary by the NC Institute for Public Health (2006)
This document contains a program summary, detailed list of activities, and accomplishments of the innovative 2001social marketing initiative the Turning Point Project NC.

Public Health Career of the Month
The Public Health Career of the Month initiative is part of the Central Partnership for Public Health overall public health recruitment campaign. Each month during the next twelve months, Miriam Mutuku, Incubator Graduate Research Assistant and MHA candidate for Spring 2009 at the Department of Health Policy and Administration, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, will post interviews with public health professionals of various disciplines from around the state of North Carolina.

Comprehensive NC High School and Community College Directories
The following documents are provided below as a resource for public health departments in development recruitment efforts to reach high schools and community colleges across North Carolina.

  • NC High School Directory by county (updated Nov 2008) (doc)
    The above directory was developed by the Central Partnership to assist with recruitment efforts as part of the Workforce Recruitment project. The directory is listed alphabetically and is current.
  • NC Community Colleges Directory & Map (doc)
    The above directory is provided by the North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS), whose mission is to "... open the door to high-quality, accessible educational opportunities that minimize barriers to post-secondary education, maximize student success, develop a globally and multi-culturally competent workforce, and improve the lives and well-being of individuals..." Learn more about NC community colleges by visiting the NCCCS website.

Promising Best Practices in Workforce Development:
LITERATURE & INTERNET SEARCH RESULTS
The resources provided below are the result of literature and tnternet search for promising & best practices in workforce development (recruitment, retention, professional development/career advancement) within U.S. governmental settings to adapt for possible implementation in the Central NC Partnership region. This valuable information was provided by Central Partnership Graduate Research Assistant Virginia Brown, a doctoral student at UNC Greensboro.


 

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