CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Oakton Community College in Des Plaines is once again responding to the call for the need for trained workers to limit the spread of COVID-19 by launching the Public Health Contact Tracer Certificate program.
The classes are online, and Oakton Community College officials said they program will quickly prepare students to monitor the contacts of infected people and notify them of their exposure. Courses start Oct. 20.
This is said to be the state’s first community college based program of its kind.
May Alimboyguen, Oakton’s Assistant Dean of Health Careers, said with the expected nationwide demand for some 100,000 more contract tracers. The 13-credit hour certificate program prepares students to identify, interview and provide instructions to individuals impacted by COVID-19. In addition, the program will offer training to link individuals with symptoms to community resources for testing and care. Students will acquire skills in communication, counseling/interviewing and foundational knowledge for implementing contact tracing tools and systems.
"In the curriculum, we actually set up modules for career-readiness and job placement skills to make sure our students are educated in the most aspects and prepared to join the workforce," she said.
Such jobs are expected to pay between $20 and $25 an hour, or more.
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All courses in the program can be completed online and include: Introduction to Public Health Contact Tracing, Public Health and Disease, Introduction to Public Health Communications, Disease Tracing Organization and Management, Counseling and Interviewing, Electronic Spreadsheeting Using Excel and Database Applications Using Access.
Because all the classes are online, you could take the course from anywhere in the country, and there may be jobs all over the country.
“Oakton is proud to be at the forefront of innovation by offering a certificate program to assist in ending a global health crisis," Alimboyoguen said