A Guide to Health Careers in Illinois is intended to facilitate the career opportunities for all stakeholders by serving as a resource for students, parents, and professionals. The health services industry attends to the medical needs of millions of people each day. From newborns to the critically ill, health service providers combine technology and the human touch in offering medical care. Nationally, there are over 469,000 health service establishments in this industry. Health service providers come in all shapes and sizes. They include rural physicians in private practice with one medical assistant and large inner city hospitals encompassing hundreds of different types of jobs. The health care industry offers a multitude of services: diagnostic, therapeutic, surgical, long-term care, rehabilitation, education, and specialized services.

Employment in the health services industry in Illinois is expected to increase by about 19% through the year 2010, much faster than the statewide average for all industries. This industry accounted for over 500,000 wage and salary jobs in 2000 and represents about 8% of total industry employment in the state.

Growth of employment in health services is expected to continue over the next ten years. Improving medical technology is increasing survival rates, and as the population ages the need for extensive therapy and long-term care is expanding. Medical group practices become larger, and the need for more service and support workers increases. Thus, demand for trained health care professionals and support workers is expected to remain high.

Support Initiatives for Health Occupation Education
A fundamental purpose of education is to give all students the best possible opportunities and support to achieve their highest potential-in school, in the workplace, and in life. More than ever before, we live in a rapidly changing world in which work requires a mastery of advanced academic, occupational, and technical skills. Increasingly, the greatest career opportunities are open to individuals with skills and knowledge acquired through experience as well as in the classroom; consequently, educational methods must also evolve.

"Why do we need to learn this?" or "When will I ever use this stuff?" Have you ever heard a student ask these questions? Students have a need to connect academic knowledge and skills to real-world situations. When students are able to do this, their level of understanding and application is increased and their motivation to achieve is improved. To accomplish this, opportunities must be available that integrate academic and technical knowledge and skills.

Tech Prep
To succeed in the workplace of the next century, students will need a strong academic foundation as well as the ability to apply what they have learned. Tech Prep represents an educational path designed to emphasize the applicability of learned material to occupational skills by integrating college preparatory coursework with rigorous technical education. This sequence of courses, both technical and academic, begins in ninth grade and is articulated with a postsecondary experience leading to an associate's degree. Because Tech Prep prepares students for a lifetime of learning, it also serves as a segue to advanced education such as a four-year baccalaureate degree. Tech Prep empowers students with the abilities necessary to meet employers' performance standards for the entry-level job and beyond.
The backbone of Tech Prep is partnership. Several groups must work together in partnerships if students are to achieve the maximum benefit. Academic and technical educators need to develop interdisciplinary cooperation in order to coordinate Tech Prep sequences. Secondary and postsecondary educators need to develop smooth articulation in order to prevent duplication of effort. Educators and private sector representatives need to develop practical, positive experiences for Tech Prep students in order to increase student participation. Tech Prep represents a winning situation for everyone involved: educators gain a curriculum that reflects the needs of tomorrow; employers gain a workforce that is prepared to meet set standards; and students gain a step-up in the competitive world of work.

Illinois Partnership Academy
Illinois Partnership Academies are designed to help young people become more engaged in school and to prepare them for postsecondary education and/or additional training and employment. The approach has allowed educators who are pressing for successful secondary school organizational structures, curricular innovations, and a defined role for employers to strengthen and link the academic, technical, and career preparation of students. In general, three key features distinguish an Illinois Partnership Academy:

1. A multi-year, school-within-a-school structure beginning in the 9th or 10th grade and continuing
through graduation with a student population representative of the whole school population;
2. The integration of rigorous college preparatory academic and career and technical instruction
around a career theme based on local labor market information (LMI), Illinois Learning Standards,
Illinois Occupational Skill Standards, or other industry standards; and,
3. Active employer involvement, particularly through mentorship and work experience for participating students.

Successful partnership academies have an active advisory council/steering committee reflective of the career theme, active parental/guardian participation, and adherence to the Essential Elements for implementing and maintaining a partnership academy.

Illinois Articulation Initiative
The Illinois Articulation Initiative (IAI) has resulted in an increasing number of academic as well as occupationally oriented courses being accepted for statewide articulation among institutions participating in the IAI. IAI has developed the Illinois Transferable General Education core Curriculum (iTransfer Gen. Ed.) and the iTransfer web site to facilitate students' transfer from one college or university to another within the state of Illinois. iTransfer Gen. Ed. consists of a package of 12 to 13 core courses that participating colleges and universities have agreed to accept in place of their own lower-division general education requirements. Students are thus afforded increased choice and flexibility when planning their education.

The iTransfer web site allows students to explore the course package in more detail as well as to locate institutions in which the courses are offered. Articulation is further enhanced within the web site by offering information and recommendations to students regarding the transfer of courses that apply to specific baccalaureate majors. Faculty, advisors, and counselors will also find the web site's Frequently Asked Questions for Educators section to be a valuable resource when working with students to map out an effective career preparation plan. By using the iTransfer web site and consulting with an advisor, students' articulation along the education pathway can be a smooth one. Visit the iTransfer web site at www.itransfer.org.

Student Organization
Career and technical student organizations can be an integral component of a health program. A student organization is an excellent vehicle for providing leadership development and technical reinforcement for the instructional program content. Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) is the official recognized organization for those enrolled in health occupation courses of study. For more information about HOSA visit their web site at www.hosa.org.

The update of this Guide to Health Careers in Illinois would not have been possible without the inspiration and cooperation of several organizations. The Illinois Department of Employment Security would like to acknowledge the voluntary participation and support of several business associations, employers, local government entities, partner state agencies, and other champions of quality career information:

• Illinois Board of Higher Education
• Illinois Community College Board and its network of local community colleges
• Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity
  
• Illinois State Board of Education
  
• Workforce Boards of Metropolitan Chicago and the members of their Healthcare Action Teams
  
• Chicago Jobs Council
  
• Chicago Sun Times
  
• Chicago Tribune
  
• Chicago Workforce Board
  
• Evanston Northwestern Healthcare
  
• Harper College
  
• Illinois Hospital Association
  
• Lake County Workforce Investment Board
  
• McHenry County Community College
  
• Malcolm X College
  
• Mayor's Office of Workforce Development
  
• Metropolitan Chicago Healthcare Council
  
• OAI, Inc.
  
• Paragon USA
  
• Pilsen One-Stop Career Center
  
• River Valley Workforce Investment Board
  
• St. Alexis Hospital
  
• Workforce Board of Northern Cook County