Recruiting and retaining employees is a challenge for many industries in South Dakota, but two SDAHO members took on the challenge head-first with collaborative efforts and creative solutions.
Avera St. Benedict Health Center in Parkston found that it wasn’t only difficult to recruit candidates to fill health care positions, but once a qualified candidate was found, the next barrier was finding housing. This led to a partnership between Avera St. Benedict, Avera Health and the Parkston Area Development Foundation to create affordable housing. Read about their creative housing solution in MED Mag.
Roughly 90 miles away from Parkston, another creative workforce solution has been found. Madison Regional Health System has partnered with Dakota State University (DSU) to create the Workforce Development Alliance (WDA). WDA is a new initiative which allows businesses to underwrite a portion of a student’s education and provide internship opportunities during their college years. In return, the student commits to work for that business for a period of time. It’s a win-win for DSU and Madison Regional Health System. Read the full story on DSU’s website.
