Public health competencies in global health education and demand of the global health labour market

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
K Czabanowska ◽  
H Krasna
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Climate Change ◽  
Global Health ◽  
Health Workforce ◽  
Health Impact ◽  
Employment Outcomes ◽  
Public Health Workforce ◽  
Gis Mapping ◽  
Climate Mitigation ◽  
Systematic Research

Abstract Background Many competencies frameworks exist worldwide and it is well known that competence-based education supports employability. However, little research exists regarding public health graduates' employment outcomes. This paper aims to stir the discussion about the expectations of the global health employment market and the competencies, which should be developed in graduates of public health programs with global orientation. Methods Material from in three different studies is used, including a systematic review of public health competency frameworks, scoping review of employment outcomes of students earning public health degrees, and analysis of 16 years' worth job postings with focus on competencies related to climate change. Results Employers currently value competencies, such as the knowledge of climate mitigation/adaptation, climate-health justice, direct/indirect and downstream effects of climate on health, health impact assessment, risk assessment, pollution-health consequences and causes, Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping, communication/writing, finance/economics, policy analysis, systems thinking, and interdisciplinarity. Conclusions The public health workforce needs to be equipped with the capabilities which trespass disciplines, professional silos and paradigms in order to be effective and able to address multiple challenges and global disruptions including climate change, as well as to lead through insecure contexts. More systematic research is needed on tracking the employment outcomes of the global health workforce, which may help to adapt public health competencies frameworks and education programs to the changing demands of the global health employment market.

scholarly journals The Future of Careers at the Intersection of Climate Change and Public Health: What Can Job Postings and an Employer Survey Tell Us?

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 1310 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather Krasna ◽  
Katarzyna Czabanowska ◽  
Shan Jiang ◽  
Simran Khadka ◽  
Haruka Morita ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Climate Change ◽  
Health Impact ◽  
Gis Mapping ◽  
Climate Mitigation ◽  
Job Market ◽  
Downstream Effects ◽  
Job Postings ◽  
Survey Responses ◽  
Health Justice

Climate change is acknowledged to be a major risk to public health. Skills and competencies related to climate change are becoming a part of the curriculum at schools of public health and are now a competency required by schools in Europe and Australia. However, it is unclear whether graduates of public health programs focusing on climate change are in demand in the current job market. The authors analyzed current job postings, 16 years worth of job postings on a public health job board, and survey responses from prospective employers. The current job market appears small but there is evidence from job postings that it may be growing, and 91.7% of survey respondents believe the need for public health professionals with training in climate change may grow in the next 5–10 years. Current employers value skills/competencies such as the knowledge of climate mitigation/adaptation, climate-health justice, direct/indirect and downstream effects of climate on health, health impact assessment, risk assessment, pollution-health consequences and causes, Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping, communication/writing, finance/economics, policy analysis, systems thinking, and interdisciplinary understanding. Ensuring that competencies align with current and future needs is a key aspect of curriculum development. At the same time, we recognize that while we attempt to predict future workforce needs with historical data or surveys, the disruptive reality created by climate change cannot be modeled from prior trends, and we must therefore adopt new paradigms of education for the emerging future.

First-Destination Outcomes for 2015–2018 Public Health Graduates: Focus on Employment

2021 ◽  
Vol 111 (3) ◽  
pp. 475-484
Author(s):  
Christine M. Plepys ◽  
Heather Krasna ◽  
Jonathon P. Leider ◽  
Emily M. Burke ◽  
Craig H. Blakely ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Health Workforce ◽  
Employment Outcomes ◽  
Further Education ◽  
Descriptive Statistics ◽  
Public Health Workforce ◽  
Service Program ◽  
Doctoral Graduates ◽  
Health Implications

Objectives. To improve understanding of the future public health workforce by analyzing first-destination employment outcomes of public health graduates. Methods. We assessed graduate outcomes for those graduating in 2015–2018 using descriptive statistics and the Pearson χ2 test. Results. In our analysis of data on 53 463 graduates, we found that 73% were employed; 15% enrolled in further education; 5% entered a fellowship, internship, residency, volunteer, or service program; and 6% were not employed. Employed graduates went to work in health care (27%), corporations (24%), academia (19%), government (17%), nonprofit (12%), and other sectors (1%). In 2018, 9% of bachelor’s, 4% of master’s, and 2% of doctoral graduates were not employed but seeking employment. Conclusions. Today’s public health graduates are successful in finding employment in various sectors. This new workforce may expand public health’s reach and lead to healthier communities overall. Public Health Implications. With predicted shortages in the governmental public health workforce and expanding hiring because of COVID-19, policymakers need to work to ensure the supply of public health graduates meets the demands of the workforce.

The New Public Health Workforce: Employment Outcomes of Public Health Graduate Students

2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 12-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather Krasna ◽  
Julie Kornfeld ◽  
Linda Cushman ◽  
Shuyue Ni ◽  
Pantelis Antoniou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Graduate Students ◽  
Health Workforce ◽  
Employment Outcomes ◽  
Public Health Workforce ◽  
New Public Health ◽  
New Public

scholarly journals Public Health Workforce Burnout in the COVID-19 Response in the U.S.

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (8) ◽  
pp. 4369
Author(s):  
Kahler W. Stone ◽  
Kristina W. Kintziger ◽  
Meredith A. Jagger ◽  
Jennifer A. Horney
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Workforce ◽  
Work Experience ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Public Health Workforce ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Public Health Response ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The U.S

While the health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on frontline health care workers have been well described, the effects of the COVID-19 response on the U.S. public health workforce, which has been impacted by the prolonged public health response to the pandemic, has not been adequately characterized. A cross-sectional survey of public health professionals was conducted to assess mental and physical health, risk and protective factors for burnout, and short- and long-term career decisions during the pandemic response. The survey was completed online using the Qualtrics survey platform. Descriptive statistics and prevalence ratios (95% confidence intervals) were calculated. Among responses received from 23 August and 11 September 2020, 66.2% of public health workers reported burnout. Those with more work experience (1–4 vs. <1 years: prevalence ratio (PR) = 1.90, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.08−3.36; 5–9 vs. <1 years: PR = 1.89, CI = 1.07−3.34) or working in academic settings (vs. practice: PR = 1.31, CI = 1.08–1.58) were most likely to report burnout. As of September 2020, 23.6% fewer respondents planned to remain in the U.S. public health workforce for three or more years compared to their retrospectively reported January 2020 plans. A large-scale public health emergency response places unsustainable burdens on an already underfunded and understaffed public health workforce. Pandemic-related burnout threatens the U.S. public health workforce’s future when many challenges related to the ongoing COVID-19 response remain unaddressed.

scholarly journals Evaluation of Education for Public Health: A Practical Foundation for Solidarity

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽  
Author(s):  
M Perkiö ◽  
R Harrison ◽  
M Grivna ◽  
D Tao ◽  
C Evashwich
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Education ◽  
Health Workforce ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Public Health Education ◽  
Public Health Workforce ◽  
Rigorous Evaluation ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Health Professionals

Abstract Education is a key to creating solidary among the professionals who advance public health’s interdisciplinary mission. Our assumption is that if all those who work in public health shared core knowledge and the skills for interdisciplinary interaction, collaboration across disciplines, venues, and countries would be facilitated. Evaluation of education is an essential element of pedagogy to ensure quality and consistency across boundaries, as articulated by the UNESCO education standards. Our study examined the evaluation studies done by programs that educate public health professionals. We searched the peer reviewed literature published in English between 2000-2017 pertaining to the education of the public health workforce at a degree-granting level. The 2442 articles found covered ten health professions disciplines and had lead authors representing all continents. Only 86 articles focused on evaluation. The majority of the papers examined either a single course, a discipline-specific curriculum or a teaching method. No consistent methodologies could be discerned. Methods ranged from sophisticated regression analyses and trends tracked over time to descriptions of focus groups and interviews of small samples. We found that evaluations were primarily discipline-specific, lacked rigorous methodology in many instances, and that relatively few examined competencies or career expectations. The public health workforce enjoys a diversity of disciplines but must be able to come together to share diverse knowledge and skills. Evaluation is critical to achieving a workforce that is well trained in the competencies pertinent to collaboration. This study informs the pedagogical challenges that must be confronted going forward, starting with a commitment to shared core competencies and to consistent and rigorous evaluation of the education related to training public health professionals. Key messages Rigorous evaluation is not sufficiently used to enhance the quality of public health education. More frequent use of rigorous evaluation in public health education would enhance the quality of public health workforce, and enable cross-disciplinary and international collaboration for solidarity.

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