On Thursday, April 24, the Portage Economic Development Corporation (EDC) brought students from Portage High School together for the opportunity to visit local healthcare facilities to get hands-on experience with healthcare. Students were split into groups to learn about the various careers in cardiology, understand the consequences of smoking, explore an X-Ray room, work with physical therapy, get an inside perspective of an ambulance, and more.
Students visited Northwest Health - Porter, St. Mary Medical Center, and Ivy Tech Community College in Valparaiso. Andy Maletta, executive director of Portage EDC, is a huge proponent of the 360 events. He believes there’s endless possibilities for these students in the healthcare field.
“This allows them the opportunity to see everything that’s out there,” Maletta said. “Everybody always thinks about doctors or nurses, but there are a lot of other things involved in healthcare. You have HVAC systems, electronic records, and other medical assistance opportunities. It’s great for the kids to see these things up close and start thinking about if this could be the career path for them.”
Between Healthcare 360, Construction 360, and Manufacturing 360, the Portage EDC exposes the students to firsthand, real world experiences with the work being done close to their home.
“Workforce development is a huge part of what economic development is about,” Maletta said. “Companies are looking for a ready workforce. They want to come to communities where they know that they can find employees. Instead of having the kids go into the fieldhouse to look at different careers, we want to basically give them a field day to see it all in action.”
Melissa Deavers-Lowie, director of communications and community engagement for Portage Township Schools, has a front row seat to see how excited the students get for these opportunities.
“We have so many classes at the high school that allow the kids to get great knowledge and experience,” Deavers-Lowie said. “Our teachers do an amazing job of bringing a lot of hands-on experience to the kids in the classrooms. This event works as an extension for the students in our medical-based classes such as Biomedical Science.”
While many students have plans to go to college away from home, Deavers-Lowie emphasizes how there are plenty of local opportunities in Portage and throughout Northwest Indiana that students can turn to if they want to go a different route.
“You may not know what’s available at the hospital without the experience of being there,” Deavers-Lowie said. “This isn’t just a way for us to showcase opportunities in healthcare, but also local opportunities. Students may go to college in a different city, but we want them to know they don’t necessarily need to for job opportunities in this area.”
It’s one thing to hear about what takes place in the healthcare field, but it’s another to experience it up close. Daya Chatman, junior at Portage High School, was impressed with how detailed the presentations were at the event.
“My favorite part has been just learning about all the new things,” Chatman said. “Through social media, you may hear about different kinds of programs. It helped show me everything out here. For ultrasound technicians, I had no idea about all the stuff they needed to do. There’s a lot of exams to take, and it’s more than just identifying tumors.”
With graduation on the horizon for many of these students, Portage EDC hopes that these events provide the kids with ample education to make one of the biggest decisions in their careers.
“I just hope that this spurs their curiosity,” Maletta said. “This exposure might get them to think about it and see if anything clicks with them. They might go back and say, ‘Boy, that looks like something I might enjoy doing or learning more about.’ We’re trying to showcase different avenues for them to decide what they want to do the most.”
For more information on the Portage EDC, you can visit portagein.org.
