In Summer 2024, JVS launched a groundbreaking partnership with UC San Diego Health to offer a specialized training program for jobseekers aspiring to become sterile processing technicians—a role known for its good wages and strong growth potential. Located in San Diego, the program ran from August 6 to December 15, 2024.
This initiative is tailored primarily for current UC San Diego Health employees working in housekeeping, janitorial, and food services. The program provides a robust upskilling curriculum that includes hands-on training, theoretical instruction, and practical experience.
Participants are trained at Southwestern College in San Diego, where they will learn the critical skills needed to handle, clean, and sterilize medical instruments, adhering to the highest industry standards. Upon completing the program, graduates will earn a Certificate of Proficiency from Southwestern College, making them eligible to apply for relevant positions within UC San Diego Health.
As the healthcare industry continues to face staffing shortages, particularly in essential support areas like sterile processing, this partnership between JVS and UC San Diego Health addresses a pressing need. The program equips participants with vital skills in sterilization, infection control, and patient care, ensuring they are prepared to contribute to high-quality healthcare delivery. By building a pipeline of skilled workers, the program not only addresses local staffing needs but also offers participants a stable and promising career path. In fact, the demand for sterile processing technicians in California is projected to grow by 13.9% between 2018 and 2028.
UC San Diego Health’s commitment to investing in its workforce is a strategic and forward-thinking response to the healthcare sector’s challenges, while also providing meaningful career advancement opportunities for its employees. At a time when many California households struggle to meet basic needs, such as rent and groceries, career training programs like this one are more crucial than ever.
“We are grateful for the incredible partnership we’ve established with JVS. Their expertise, dedication, and shared vision to make a positive impact on today’s workforce shines through their work. As an Anchor Institution, one of our focuses is the ‘inside up’ method, which creates career pathways for our employees. Together with JVS, we have made significant strides in creating meaningful job opportunities that will help our dedicated employees excel.” – Monica Redmond, Talent Acquisition Manager, UC San Diego Health
Our US San Diego Health partnership story first appeared in our 2024 Impact Report. Go to impact2024.jvs.org to read the report and learn more about our work.
