Kapiolani Community College has launched a Rapid Health Education Program to help people jump-start new careers in seven health care positions, from medical assistants to pharmacy technicians.

The tuition for the courses normally runs as high as $3,000, depending on the field, but that cost is being covered by a federal apprenticeship grant awarded to the state. The accelerated courses will quickly prepare people for jobs with high demand in the state.

“The program was created to address the severe unemployment and underemployment that many people are facing in our communities and to assist in bringing those people back to work in positions that provide a good salary and job security in an industry that will always be vital,” said Marcus Fikse Thompson, outreach coordinator for the program.

The training effort, which is largely online, aims to fill vacant jobs in hospitals, clinics and pharmacies where demand for qualified applicants exceeds supply.

The courses offered this summer are: medical assistant, nurse assistant, phar-­macy technician, phlebotomy technician, optometry assistant, community health worker and “professional update and advancement” for dental assistants.

“We chose these particular programs because these positions are currently in high demand, so it will be easy to be placed right into a position,” Thompson said.

Apprenticeship programs at Kapiolani typically combine classroom work and on-the-job training at the same time. But the Rapid Health Education Program comes in two parts, first the classwork and then the job placement.

“This one is starting out with the classroom training and then moving into a position … so they are able to hit the ground running,” Thompson said.

In exchange for having their tuition covered by the grant, participants must commit to actively seeking out and accepting a position in their chosen field once they complete training. KCC will help them find suitable jobs, whether full- or part-time.

Participants should be able to dedicate 25 to 30 hours per week to independent study for their courses. Some courses are available statewide as they are online.

Applicants must attend a live Zoom information session to qualify for any course. No appointment is needed for those sessions, which are offered several times and are already underway.

Courses begin as early as June, with staggered start dates. Participants must be at least 17 years old and with a high school diploma.

“Each program does have minimum prerequisites. However, we feel that most people should be able to meet those requirements,” Thompson said. “We want this to be accessible to anyone who thinks it’s right for them.”

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MORE INFO

A video overview of the Rapid Health Education Program is available at online at tinyurl.com/RHEPINFO. Find details, schedules and videos specific to each course online at kapiolani.hawaii.edu/academics/non-credit-programs/.