FAIRMONT– A new program passed during the most recent legislative session allows high school students working in a long term health care setting the opportunity to receive two credits for every 350 hours worked. Lakeview Methodist Health Care Center and Fairmont High School have had conversations about the program and hope to have students take advantage of it.

Deb Barnes, Lakeview’s administrator, said LeadingAge Minnesota has been promoting the program since it was passed within the K-12 Education Omnibus Bill.

“I was really excited. I’m on the workforce committee at LeadingAge as well so we were all really happy it passed,” Barnes said.

According to information put out by LeadingAge, there’s over a 20 percent job vacancy rate open across Minnesota’s long-term care settings, yet in the next five years, 50,000 more Minnesotans will be 80 or older so the need for caring professionals will only grow.

While the benefit to a long-term health care setting like Lakeview is apparent, Barnes pointed out that from the other side, the Minnesota Department of Education knows that work is also education and can be a good teacher.

“We many times have high school students, but for us it’s maybe a way to draw more high school students to us so that they can see the many careers that are available in long-term care and learn first hand what they’re like so maybe they’ll think about that as a career choice,” Barnes said.

Chad Brusky, principal of Fairmont High School, said Barnes had reached out to him about the program once it passed and he was immediately interested.

“We’re always looking for ways to create partnerships with the community. Providing our students with the opportunity to go on site, get paid for the work they’re doing and the learning experiences they’re getting is one of our priorities,” Brusky said.

The way the program works is that, beginning Sept.1, students in grades 11 and 12 can earn up to two elective credits each year–one for every 350 hours worked– including hours worked during the summer.

“It doesn’t require a change to a student’s schedule. It honors the hours and work a student is putting in outside of the school day,” Brusky said.

Brusky said the school is starting to work with Lakeview and will work out any kinks but will expand the program as people become more aware of it. He said they plan to share information about it during the welcome back to school presentation and in the parent updates.

“It’s a great opportunity for our kids working in a profession, gaining hands-on experience. It’s nice that the state is recognizing the learning that the kids are getting and able to award credit,” Brusky said.

He said that all students need to do is fill out a form and have their employer send confirmation of hours worked so that the school can sign off on it and award the credits on the transcript.

Colin Meyeraan will be starting as a junior at Fairmont High School. He’s been working in the culinary department at Lakeview since the start of the summer and intends to take advantage of the program.

“I’m excited to be able to get the extra credits,” Meyeraan sad.

He’s scheduled to work about 20 hours a pay period and plans to continue working at Lakeview through his completion of high school so has the potential to earn four elective credits outside of school by working.

“We have some other high school staff. We haven’t had them come forward yet but the school will be working on getting the word out. It’s not just Lakeview, but all long-term care so there’s two other assisted living facilities in town that are eligible,” Barnes said.

She pointed out that under the bill, students working in a child care setting are also eligible to receive credits for hours worked.

“It’s so new that people haven’t necessarily looked into the details yet, but we were anxious to do it and make sure that our students have the opportunity to earn the credits as long as they’re working. We look forward to having more that can get a taste of what working in long-term care is like,” Barnes said.