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Over Half of Financial Influencers Hide Their Identities, Reveals CFA Institute Study

Social Media: More than 50 per cent of influencers do not make adequate disclosures when they are pushing out advertiser funded content. As Gen Z investors increasingly turn to finfluencers for guidance on investment decisions, the CFA Institute calls for more action by regulators and industry. A lack of financial literacy and perceived cost of advice drive people to finfluencer content stated the CFA Institute research which examines the growing impact of financial influencers on the Gen Z investor experience

Unlocking Financial Freedom: Mauricio Garcia’s Top Five Strategies

Mauricio Garcia is a highly regarded advisor who has made a significant impact showcasing his influence on the financial landscape. His noteworthy contributions are his dedication to education, reaching individuals across North America and revolutionizing the sector through state-of-the-art software tools. Garcia’s impact goes beyond traditional advisory roles; it serves as a driving force for […]

Schwab Celebrates its 50th Celebration with an Entrepreneur Study as part of Wisdom of the Crowd

To commemorate its 50th anniversary, Westlake-based Charles Schwab has released results of a comprehensive survey of investors that the company said provides insights into the habits and experiences of its clients as well as what the clients see as critical to their satisfaction and successful outcomes. “I hear regularly from clients, many who started with […]

VCU Health Enhances Workforce Training to Facilitate Healthcare Careers for Youth

By Dina Weinstein

In a typical day, Angel Glenn, a 22-year-old certified medical assistant in the VCU Health neurology department, makes sure patients get their medication refills and forms sent to the correct doctor. Her duties also include checking over patients’ referrals – ensuring they are processed correctly – and scheduling medical visits.

Glenn always knew she would work in the medical field and took numerous science classes at Huguenot High School in Richmond. She thought she would then go to community college to become an EMT. While she knew there are a lot of jobs in the medical field, she didn’t know exactly which direction to go.

When she heard a presentation at her high school about the Pathways to Healthcare Workforce  program at VCU Health, she applied to start working and earning a salary immediately.

Glenn was hired in the health system’s department of patient transportation. The program supported her through the job application process, providing training sessions focused on creating professional resumes and nailing job interviews.

“I learned a lot of new things, even in transport,” Glenn said. “It’s an entry-level job, I still learned so many things procedure-wise. We would take patients to dialysis and endoscopy. I learned what those different departments and different nurses do.”
When Glenn wanted to take the leap and apply for a job as a certified medical assistant, the Pathways to Healthcare Workforce program helped her access financial assistance through the department’s partnership with the Community College Workforce Alliance (CCWA) to pay for classes to master the needed skills to complete the program and certification exam.

“I had a lot of support,” Glenn said. “The leadership was very helpful. Everybody was very friendly and nice. They would help you or get the resources you needed.”
Glenn is just one of 282 young adults who have gone through one of the two VCU Health Pathways programs that help participants transition into entry-level positions, such as administrative assistant, patient transport tech, dietary aide, certified medical assistant, and patient access representative, to name a few. Pathways to Healthcare Workforce aids high school students transition into these roles, while Pathways Connect works with adults. The programs partner with Virginia Community Colleges and CCWA to train and prepare adult participants for positions that require professional certifications, credentials and associates degrees.

After joining the VCU Health Pathways to Healthcare Workforce program, Angel Glenn was able to start working and receive training for entry-level positions within the health system. (VCU Enterprise Marketing and Communications)
Growing and supporting a new health care workforce

The VCU Health Pathways programs aim to bridge the gaps for communities that are often underrepresented in health care, helping many to find employment within the health system as well as opportunities to access higher education and training. The programs also implement strategies and build partnerships to improve the health of patients, including nonmedical factors such as transportation and food access.
Porsha Bennett is the manager of VCU Health’s Workforce Development & Strategies department, which oversees these workforce development programs. The department is under the Division of Community Health led by Sheryl Garland, chief of health impact officer. The programs launched in 2018 by the former director Harrison Hayes.
Bennett says Glenn and her colleagues in the program have excelled in their roles at the health system.

“I’m just really proud of them,” Bennett said. “You can tell that they’re proud of what they’ve accomplished. They are hard workers.”

Bennett volunteered and worked as a patient transport tech at VCU Health while earning a bachelor’s degree in community health education. She graduated in May from the Virginia Commonwealth University College of Health Professions with a master’s in health administration. As the first in her family to graduate from a four-year institution, she is passionate about workforce development because she experienced a similar employment journey to those she now serves.

“We mentor and provide career coaching to support program participants. This includes transitioning into a professional environment.” Bennett said. “In many cases high school graduates may face challenges adjusting to full-time work expectations. In addition, we work closely with hiring managers and human resources to ensure successful employment and retention.”

Participants of the Pathways to Healthcare Workforce program also attend workshops on goal setting, mock-interviews, conflict resolution, work readiness and financial literacy.

As part of its partnership with the CCWA, over the past 2 years, 94 medical assistants have been placed throughout VCU Health. Twenty-three current team members completed the medical assistant program and have continued to have career advancement opportunities in various fields.

“Because of a medical assistant shortage, we created a medical assistant pipeline program with CCWA. We recruit students after program completion. We then help participants to seek employment, as a medical assistant primarily in our outpatient clinics,” Bennett said.
Building more pathways

VCU Health Pathways has received additional support from two recent grants, which will expand its impact in the community. A recent $74,000 grant from the Truist bank supports the partnership with CCWA. Another $1 million pending grant from the U.S. Department of Labor aims to strengthen the program’s relationships in the Richmond region as well as expand and create more pipeline programs for communities served by VCU Health Tappahannock Hospital and VCU Health Community Memorial Hospital in South Hill.

As the vision for this specialized health care workforce training initiative continues to grow, so does Glenn’s vision of her future.
Even after securing her role as a certified medical assistant, Glenn continues to expand her knowledge by learning about neurological conditions such as the signs of stroke and specific issues encountered by epilepsy patients. Five years from now, she plans to be on the path to pursue nursing.

“I think I want to become a licensed practical nurse (LPN), and then I’m not sure if I want to jump straight in. Slow is better than rushing, especially right now with trying to maintain a full-time job and going to school,” Glenn said. “It’s definitely possible, you just have to move some stuff around and slowly get there.”

Learn more about the Pathways to Healthcare Workforce program

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Impending Rise in Homelessness for Lexington’s Youth as Rental Aid Ends

by Paul Oliva, The Lexington Times LEXINGTON, KY — As the curtain falls on a pandemic-era federal rental assistance program, a grim forecast looms over Lexington, with advocates warning of a potential surge in homelessness, particularly among children. This concern follows the cessation of a lifeline that has supported numerous families during the economic turbulence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Lexington’s Housing Stabilization Program, part of the federal government’s emergency response to the pandemic, has been a crucial support for those struggling with rent and utility bills. Since February 2021, the program has paid $53 million in past-due rental payments. Its conclusion marks a turning point for many, including the 627 students in Fayette County Public Schools (FCPS) considered displaced or homeless. T.C. Johnson, the McKinney-Vento program manager at FCPS, recently told WKYT she anticipates a significant increase in the number of homeless students, particularly as the winter months approach. This projection aligns with other advocates’ observations. A call for action, awareness Davita Gatewood is a single mother and housing advocate facing her own housing crisis. In a phone interview, she voiced her frustration and fear for Lexington’s most vulnerable. Her concern is not just for her family but echoes the predicament of numerous others in the community. The necessity for heightened awareness and action is at the forefront of Gatewood’s message. She stressed the need for informing those in peril about the Housing Stabilization Program’s termination and guiding them toward alternative resources. Community Action Council and Community & Resident Services are among the few avenues still available, but with the federal safety net gone, they are bracing for a surge in demand. In a candid expression of the challenges ahead, Gatewood underscored the daunting task of securing rental assistance in the current landscape. “That’s going to be difficult to find,… Continue Reading

One-third of 10-plus Population Sans EDN, Employment, Training

Over a third of Bangladesh’s current 169.828-million-strong population has no education, employment and job training as per latest total headcount that also shows a significant female-male demographic transformation. For the first time in the country’s history, women outnumber men in official count the final report on which was published Tuesday by the national statistical body.The Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) in its final ‘Population and Household Census Report 2022’ also showed that the total population after the post-enumeration check (PEC) of the census increased by 4.67 million from its preliminary report of 165.158 million unveiled in July last.The country’s population has grown at a little slower pace of 1.12 per cent found in the latest census compared to 1.37 per cent in the previous census held in 2011.The census 2022 has also shown that the proportion of women to men for the first time is higher than the previous census results.According to the BBS, the proportion of women to men stood at 100:98.02 in the latest census report.The country’s lone national statistical organization (NSO) -BBS-unveiled its final population and household census report 2022 after the previous flagship report in 2011. It shows another transformative demographic feature-growing rural-to-urban migration. With BBS Director-General Mohammad Mizanur Rahman in the chair, Planning Minister MA Mannan was present as the chief guest at the census-report-dissemination programme in the city.The census 2022 shows that a total of 34.02 per cent of the 10 years and above age of population are still out of education, employment and training.Out of the percentage, a total of 52.76-percent females have no education, employment and training while 13.28-percent male are in the same situation in Bangladesh.Out of the total population, 84.134 million are male, which is 49.54 per cent of the total 169.828 million, and the rest 85.686 million are female, which is 50.46 per cent of the total population, the BBS census shows.In the last census 2011, the proportion of the female population to male was lower and recorded at 100:100.30 and in 2001 census was 100:106.35.However, the impressive part of the census is a fall in the dependency rate in the latest Census 2022. The dependency ratio in Bangladesh has decreased to 52.63 per cent in the latest headcount. In the last 2011 census the dependency ratio was 73 per cent and in 2001 census was 82.70 per cent.Meanwhile, the population in urban areas has also increased to 31.66 per cent while the remaining 68.346 per cent people live in the rural areas.The BBS collected the countrywide population and household data on June 15-21 of the last calendar year, 2023.In terms of the population density, the BBS has given the bad news that it has increased to 1,119 persons living in per square-kilometre area in 2022 from 976 persons in 2011.Dhaka South City Corporation and North City Corporation are the densest area in the country where a total of 4.305 million and 5.99 million people live in respectively by official count. Private guess on Dhaka population is much higher in a centripetal demographic distribution that draws people of all sections to the burgeoning capital with concentration of facilities. In terms of religious factors, Muslim population increased to 91.08 per cent as of 2022 from 90.39 per cent in 2011. The Hindus declined to 7.96 per cent in the 2022 count from 8.54 per cent in 2011.Buddhists and Christians also dropped to 0.61 per cent and 0.30 per cent respectively in 2022 from 0.62 per cent and 0.31 per cent in 2011.The census shows the youth (15-24 years) increased to 19.11 per cent of the total population from 18.16 per cent in 2011.The literacy rate (7 years and above) had also increased significantly to 74.80 per cent in 2022 from 51.77 per cent in 2011.Out of the literate population, 89.26 per cent achieved general education, 7.19 per cent religious education, 0.81 per cent technical education and the rest 2.74 per cent other categories of education.The BBS discloses that 69.93 per cent of the total population (above 15 years) uses the mobile phone. Among them, 66.17-per cent are in rural areas and 77.77 per cent in urban areas.Some 36.92 per cent of the population utilise internet where rural participation is 31.21 per cent and the urban participation is 48.86 per cent.Meanwhile, 1.37 per cent of the total population is disabled, as of 2022, against 1.41 per cent in 2011.The transgendered population in Bangladesh has been recorded at 8,124.The number of households also increased to 41.01 million in 2022 from 32.17 million in 2011. But the household size has declined to 3.98 from that of 4.44 in 2011. According to the BBS, 1.736 million live in slums. The total slum households in the country are 0.05 million. The country has 22,185 floating people.Some 99.24 per cent of the total population had come under the electricity coverage in 2022 from that of 55.60 per cent in 2011.The report-dissemination programme was addressed, among others, by Statistics and Informatics Division Secretary Dr Shahnaj Arefin, Planning Commission Member Nasima Begum, and General Economics Division Member Dr Md Kawser Ahammad.
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Expanding Role of PragerU’s Educational Videos in U.S. School Systems

In July, Florida became the first state to allow schools to incorporate instructional videos with a conservative viewpoint from vendor PragerU into their classroom materials. Oklahoma and Montana rapidly followed. New Hampshire in September approved the use of online PragerU videos to satisfy financial literacy requirements in public schools. PragerU and one state education board […]

Rhode Island College’s Strategic Initiative to Enhance Adult Education and Workforce Preparedness

In 2016 former R.I. Gov. Gina Raimondo proposed that at least 70 percent of the state’s working population should possess post-secondary education credentials by 2025. That proposal was hailed as a move that would boost employee salaries and encourage a more robust tax base. “As a public institution, Rhode Island College is concerned about sup- porting industry and business for the benefit of our graduates, who should be employment ready with the skills and knowledge to thrive in the workplace,” says Rhode Island College President Jack Warner.

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