|
A Guide to Health Careers in Illinois will acquaint you with over 200 health science professions taught in over 580 occupational training programs offered by technical and community colleges, colleges and universities, hospitals, and other organizations throughout Illinois. While this book does not discuss high school programs, some health occupations can be accessed through high schools. The guide can be used to find information on educational training programs or to gain general health science career information for exploring career alternatives. The health careers presented in this guide have been grouped in sections. Each section contains descriptions of the occupations in that career field. Occupational information includes: job description, job settings, projected need, salaries, related careers, differences in training, credentials, advanced training, and resources. An overview of duties and responsibilities is stated in the Job Description section. Responsibilities of workers in the same occupation usually vary by employer and size of the firm. The Job Settings section identifies the different types of health facilities in which persons in various health occupations are employed. Each occupational description in this guide includes a section on Projected Need. This paragraph contains information about the demand for individuals entering each occupation. A number of sources were used when developing these statements, including the most recent Illinois Department of Employment Security Occupational Employment Projections, the 2002-2003 Occupational Outlook Handbook, the 2003-2004 American Medical Association's Health Professions Career and Education Directory, the Encyclopedia of Careers & Vocational Guidance, the HORIZONS Career Information System, as well as information on the Internet from various professional associations and educational institutions. Information in this section describes the outlook for individuals interested in employment in a particular occupation. When appropriate, a comparison to the statewide and national growth rate is given. Also, a statement on the size of the occupation has been provided. Use the Projected Need section but also do further research at the local level, which will more closely represent the projected need and potential job openings for an occupation in a specific area of the state. There may be job openings in your community for occupations that show a surplus in other parts of Illinois. The Salaries section provides the most current regional, state and national salary information available. When considering salaries, users of this guide should keep in mind that for most careers, salaries vary considerably, depending on level of education, experience, specialty, job responsibilities, abilities, geographic location, and employer. Occupations involving similar aptitudes, interests, education, and training are identified in the Related Careers section. The Differences in Training section includes information on the most significant sources of training, typical length of training, and training preferred by employers. The Related Educational Programs section lists recommended programs of study to pursue for training in a particular health occupation. A link to the programs of study files in HORIZONS Career Information System (CIS) will show schools that offer these programs in Illinois. Login to the HORIZONS Career Information System (CIS) at www.ILWorkInfo.com/icrn while using this guide prior to selecting related educational programs in order to directly access related educational programs. In addition, CIS gives the schools' name, address, main phone number and for schools that have them, the main e-mail address and home page URL so that users can contact them for more information. Every effort has been made to include the most current information in CIS. Changes will occur, however, as new programs are constantly being accredited by their respective professional associations, and existing programs may be revised by each educational institution. Some programs may require high school science or math courses, previous college experience, or health-care work experience. Individuals should contact all possible school choices as early as possible to learn these requirements and to plan high school courses. The Credentials section contains information on licensure, certification, or registration requirements for each occupation - an important aspect of working in the health field. Licensing, certification, and registration are the three commonly used methods to assure the public that people are qualified and/or competent to perform certain occupations. They are usually defined as follows: Licensure: The process by which a governmental agency grants
permission to persons to Certification: The process by which a nongovernmental agency
or a professional association Registration: The process by which qualified individuals
are listed on an official roster The Resources section, which is found at the end of each occupational description, contains listings of mailing addresses for professional associations and other organizations that provide useful occupational information. In some cases, toll-free phone numbers and Internet addresses are provided. Association membership offers opportunities for networking which may lead to a job. Also, both local and national chapters of professional organizations sponsor financial aid programs for individual health occupations which they represent. The national offices of these organizations have information about financial aid programs they offer. They are also able to direct individuals to local or state chapters that have aid. Information about these financial aid programs has been added to the Resources section. Materials presented in this guide have been compiled from a variety of sources. The following are some of the sources used to update this edition of A Guide to Health Careers in Illinois:
*You can access the HORIZONS Career Information System (CIS) at www.ILWorkInfo.com/icrn. This site will also have links to Illinois Skills Match which shows current openings in Illinois. Many health care specialties are represented in the database. |