A recent survey suggests that graduates with training in health-related fields might be more likely to find employment than graduates of other disciplines, the Fresno Bee reports.
For the study, Fenton Communications surveyed students at about 12 community colleges in the Central Valley, Los Angeles and San Jose regions. The firm also spoke with colleges throughout the year about job prospects for graduates from health-related programs.
Tamara Murray of Fenton Communications said the results indicate that "students in allied health are doing well" at finding jobs, despite the recession.
Community colleges often provide the training for these occupations, which include dental assistants, nursing aides and X-ray technicians.
Other studies suggest that the demand for health care workers actually is increasing as California's population increases and becomes older.
Saba Brelvi, program director at the California Wellness Foundation, said, "Even in this economy, California needs more -- and more diverse -- health workers." She added that "as the population gets larger and more diverse, this need will become even more urgent."
Fenton Communications runs a campaign to increase the number of health workers on behalf of the California Wellness Foundation (Fontana, Fresno Bee, 6/1).