Intro to Guide

Dear Students and Educators:

I am delighted to share updates in the sixth edition of the Health Occupations & Technology (H.O.T.) Guide—Careers in Connecticut.   The pandemic clearly illustrates the need for a diverse and qualified healthcare workforce ready to tackle  complexities in the face of a new and emerging health crisis. To that end, CT AHEC has added public health resources for educators which include lesson plans, rubrics and teaching guides. For learners, we’ve added scholarship information for those pursuing careers in public health.

The H.O.T. Guide is your map . . . and serves as a comprehensive guide to many of the health and biotechnology careers for which there is an educational program offered in Connecticut. This guide is specifically designed for those interested in learning more about health and biotechnology careers and educational opportunities for such careers in the state. The guide is also a great resource tool for educators and guidance counselors to share with their students as they start thinking about college and career choices.

One of the primary objectives of Connecticut Area Health Education Centers (CT AHEC) is to promote health careers, and this guide is just one of many projects CT AHEC is working on to fulfill this objective. The various AHEC regional centers throughout Connecticut plan and coordinate numerous programs aimed at exposing students and others to health careers as well as preparing learners for particular careers. Examples of such programs include: Youth Health Service Corps, Public Health Ambassadors, Biomedical Engineering Discovery Program, CT Junior Science and Humanities Symposium, CNA Pathways to College Program, Collegiate Health Service Corps, the Medical/Community Interpreter Program, and Community Health Worker Core Competency Training.   All of these programs provide opportunities to learn more about health careers through hands-on experience and interaction with health care professionals.

The guide provides valuable information about planning for college, financial aid, enrichment programs, and educational opportunities in Connecticut. The H.O.T. Guide also answers the following questions for over eighty different health and biotechnology careers:

What will my job be like?

Where could I work?

What is the salary for this career?

What is the future of this career?

What type of education and/or training do I need?

Where can I get the education and/or training?

Do I need a license or certification for this career?

Where can I get more information?

Since 2001, CT AHEC has supported the guide—first in print and since the 4th edition, online. With over 19,000 page views per year, CT AHEC is proud to contribute to the promotion of health careers, including public health, through the publication of this guide. We hope that students and educators will find it to be a useful resource in learning about and planning for a “H.O.T. career in Connecticut.”

Sincerely,

Petra Clark-Dufner

Director, Connecticut AHEC Program

UConn Health

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