Plan Your Health Care Career Education

The path to a successful career in health care begins with careful planning to gain the right skills. Learn about the skills needed for a career in health care and find health care programs and training options.

Skills and Knowledge

Having the right skills and knowledge will help increase both your career options and your confidence.

Being successful in your career will require both occupational and soft (employability) skills. Occupational skills are the specific technical skills and knowledge you need to do a job. Soft skills, sometimes called employability skills, are the foundational skills you need to work, communicate with others, and problem solve. You can improve your soft skills with awareness, training, and practice. Learn more about soft skills.

Competency Models

Use these competency models to understand the soft and technical skills and knowledge workers in health care industries are expected to have. It may appear complicated at first. But using this will help you to make better decisions about building the skills needed for your career in health care.  

What are Health Care Employers Really Looking For?

Minnesota Employers Speak from various regions of the state. They reveal what they are looking for in their new hires and current workforce, the skills and experience employers need but are not finding. Employers' spoken quotes are organized into general themes and issues.

Programs

Get Started

If you are just getting started, you can learn about majors in health science. Select any major to find related careers, schools that offer the major, related majors, and information about preparing for college.

Are you interested in working in counseling and mental health services or family and community health services?  Research human services majors.

Enroll

  • Use the Campus & Program search to find health care programs at Minnesota State colleges and universities. Both online and in-person programs are available. Select the "Search Programs" button and look for areas of study you are interested in in the Health category. You will be able to FILTER RESULTS by the type of Degree/Award and Location. Use the MAP view to find programs near you.

Short-term courses

You can also find short-term continuing education courses in health care at many Minnesota State colleges. To search for health, select the category "Health and Wellness" in the Continuing Education Advanced Search.

Transfer

Many students start their education at a 2-year college and then transfer to a different college or a 4-year university to complete their degree. Learn about the types of degrees that transfer from a two-year program to a four-year major. If you plan to transfer, it is essential to know which degree path is right for you. Not all two-year college programs transfer to a four-year bachelor's degree. Talk to a transfer specialist early to make sure that you enroll in the right program.

Other Types of Training

Certifications are credentials showing that you have mastered a specific skill or technology. Having a certification can make you more competitive in the job market. The CareerOneStop Certification Finder will help you find certifications for health care occupations. Either select "Healthcare Practitioners and Technical" or "Healthcare Support" from the List of Occupations. You can also search by "Health Care and Social Assistance" in the List of Industries.

Financial Aid 101
Learn about applying for financial aid.

Scholarship Websites (CAREERwise)
Do you need help paying for college? Find resources that will help you locate a scholarship.

Minnesota's Health Care Education Loan Forgiveness Program
Are you considering a career in health care and wondering how to pay for it? Or maybe you’re already working in health care and are looking for help paying your student loans.

Minnesota State Workforce Development Scholarships
Hundreds of $2,500 scholarships in high demand fields, including health care, are available at Minnesota State colleges and universities for Fall 2020 and Spring 2021.

Vouchers and Training Funds
You may qualify for state or federal dislocated worker training funds. To find out if you qualify, contact a counselor at CareerForce online or at any of the 49 CareerForce locations in Minnesota.

News and Events

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Get Help

Do you need help with your career plan?  CAREERwise representatives are waiting to assist you.  Chat with us at the Info Hub.