St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children, Drexel University, and Peirce College are working together to collaborate on academic programs that support career transition. Expanding access for adult learners interested in advancing their education also develops a more diverse pipeline of talent for regional employers.
Over the next ten years, Philadelphia is expected to see tens of thousands of new jobs become available, primarily in healthcare and technology-driven medical research, as the city continues its growth as a hub for gene therapy and life sciences research. To help Philadelphians prepare for these opportunities and better position themselves for jobs created by this economic growth, Drexel and Peirce have partnered to create two pilot programs that open new pathways for adults interested in continuing their education.
The first of these pilot programs is the Peirce-Drexel Pathway program. Adult learners interested in online bachelor’s degree programs at Drexel, but have fewer than 24 college credits, can enroll first at Peirce to earn an online associate degree, with the option to embed select industry-relevant certifications. Credits earned for the associate degree will then transfer to Drexel and can be applied toward select online bachelor’s degrees.
“This program aims to remove the barriers that prevent many adults from completing their degree, enrolling at colleges and universities, and acquiring the credentials and advanced skills needed to secure in-demand, well-paying jobs,” said Drexel President John Fry. “This partnership reflects our shared commitment to promoting inclusive economic growth in service to the Philadelphia community.”
In addition, the institutions are working in partnership with St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children to offer an apprenticeship opportunity that complements the medical coding and billing certificates offered at Peirce. The apprenticeship can then stack onto an online bachelor’s degree at Drexel.
The pilot programs represent a new educational model that allows Peirce - an institution that has been focused on providing working adults with access to affordable education for more than 150 years - to expand its mission of serving adult learners while bolstering Drexel’s efforts to expand access to its academic offerings for students in the Greater Philadelphia region.
“This effort leverages Peirce’s mission of serving adult students and underrepresented, nontraditional students along with Drexel’s expertise in creating experiential learning opportunities and career-focused programs to expand access to quality education for adults in the Philadelphia region,” said Dr. Mary Ellen Caro, president and CEO of Peirce College. “We believe it will result in accelerated innovation and economic recovery in our region.”
Through their partnership with St. Christopher’s, Peirce and Drexel are helping Philadelphians prepare for a career path that is expected to be in high demand in the coming years, according to projections from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The goals of the initiatives are to enable both institutions to help more adult and nontraditional learners expand their skills and move into high-demand jobs, and to provide these opportunities on pathways that are flexible enough to accommodate the schedule of working adults. If the pilots are successful, the schools plan to expand their partnership to offer additional educational opportunities.
“A critical part of St. Christopher’s mission is to enhance the health of the communities we serve inside and outside the hospital walls, physically and even economically,” said Don Mueller, CEO, at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children. “This new coding and billing program will help individuals gain the skills they need to find a position that pays well, hopefully at St. Christopher’s - a win-win that will provide key employees in an era of health care staffing shortages and infuse much-needed capital into the community.”
Both institutions have deep histories when it comes to preparing Philadelphians for careers in the future. For Peirce, it began in 1865, when Thomas May Peirce saw that former soldiers would need practical business training to prepare for a career after the Civil War. In 1891, Anthony J. Drexel saw a similar need to prepare young men and women for jobs in a rapidly growing industrial society following the Industrial Revolution.
As the city’s workforce is poised for another transition - this time, driven by the growth of health care and technology-enabled medical research in life sciences and gene therapy - Drexel and Peirce are collaborating in service to the community and their shared, foundational missions.
About St. Christopher's Hospital for Children
St. Christopher's Hospital for Children is a 188-bed facility providing exceptional care to children from across the Philadelphia region. Founded in 1875, the hospital has more than 200 physicians who are pediatric experts, and offers a wide array of specialties. St. Christopher’s is home to one of only three Level I pediatric trauma centers in Pennsylvania, a Level III neonatal intensive care unit—the highest level—and the only pediatric burn center between New York and Baltimore. The hospital is a Magnet® designated facility—the gold standard of nursing—and is one of the largest pediatric medical training centers in the country. For more information visit towerhealth.org.