At Covenant Health in Castor, Alberta, opening doors for students through CAREERS: The Next Generation is not just about filling positions. It is about sparking interest, showing the wide range of opportunities in health care, and giving young people the confidence to take their next step.
Tammy Rossing, program manager at Our Lady of the Rosary Hospital, has seen the impact firsthand. After years as a frontline nurse, she moved into management and began looking for ways to support the future workforce. “With shortages of health care workers in general, I had heard about CAREERS through Covenant Health’s talent and acquisition,” she explains. “I really want to stimulate interest for students to work in the health care industry. A lot of people just understand that it is doctors and nurses that work in health care, but there are so many more support roles in health care facilities.”
Through CAREERS, Tammy was able to bring students into different areas of the hospital. “Some were in recreation, working with our long-term care residents,” she says. “They prepared craft supplies, helped run activities like balloon badminton, served coffee, and escorted residents to and from their rooms. Others supported rehabilitation, helping with exercise programs, hot pack therapy, and other treatments. Another student worked in materials management, checking supply inventory, ordering, and organizing stock.”
Although not every department was filled, Tammy says the experience exceeded expectations. “We even ended up with extra students who have continued on as staff at the hospital.”
The impact on students was just as meaningful. Jen McCallum, who worked in materials management, says her days were full and engaging. “I would check supplies, make sure nothing was expired, restock carts, and help unload shipments. I volunteered here before, but when my school told me about CAREERS, it opened the door to this job.”
Jen also had the chance to observe other areas of the hospital. “I got to watch a cardiac arrest simulation with a controlled dummy, and it was really cool. It opened my eyes to more than just nursing and made me realize how much I liked working here.”
For Jen, the experience cemented her career goals. “It made me realize I do not want to work anywhere but here,” she says. “The environment is very welcoming and supportive. I hope to keep working here and maybe do some dual credit healthcare courses in school.”
Grace Weeks also joined through CAREERS, taking on a role in recreation therapy. “I had been considering business management, but once I started working here, I realized I wanted to go into something like occupational therapy,” she says. “Every day is different. I spend time with residents, visit, play games, and hear their stories. I would not have known how much I enjoyed this kind of work without CAREERS.”
Grace says the variety and human connection make the job special. “I am not someone who likes the same routine every day, so the variety has been great. The residents love to share their life stories, and it has taught me how to really listen.”
Both Jen and Grace point to CAREERS as the gateway that made their experiences possible. “It was really smooth,” says Jen. “The application process was easy, and they walked me through it step by step.” Grace adds, “I probably would not have known how much I would enjoy recreation therapy without CAREERS. It showed me a career path I had not considered.”
For Tammy, watching the students grow has been the highlight. “At first they needed extra support from staff, but within weeks they were taking initiative and starting activities on their own. They learned to work independently, communicate with different disciplines, and really became part of the team.”
She believes programs like this are critical in addressing the health care worker shortage. “The idea of post-secondary can be daunting for young people. You commit to four, five, six years of school, and then maybe discover it is not what you want. With exposure early on, they can figure out what they are passionate about before making that decision.”
The experience also benefits employers. “CAREERS provided guidance not just for the students, but for me as an employer. They helped with onboarding, coaching, and ensuring we were ready to support the students,” Tammy says. “It was valuable for everyone involved.”
Her advice to other organizations is simple: “Do it. Reach out to CAREERS. It is very valuable to get these students started early and show them that there are lots of opportunities out there.”
For students like Jen and Grace, and for Covenant Health, the partnership has been transformative. It created opportunities to explore, grow, and discover new passions. As Tammy sums it up, “It is all about exposure. Once students see the many roles available in health care, they can imagine themselves in the future workforce.”
