by Romuladus Azuine | Sep 16, 2024 | Blog
Public health graduates are facing a tough reality: securing employment post-graduation is becoming increasingly challenging. While demand for public health professionals is rising, many recent graduates find themselves struggling to land jobs. A key reason? The gap between academic knowledge and practical skills.
Graduates often leave university with a solid theoretical foundation but lack the hands-on experience employers demand. This skills gap leaves them feeling unprepared and frustrated, with some pointing fingers at their universities for not providing sufficient real-world training.
- Do not blame your university
- Do not blame your mentors who told you public health is lucrative
- Ask yourself, do I have the skills to perform as a public health professional?
- Do something and do it fast!
As the public health landscape evolves, it’s essential for academic institutions to adapt, integrating more practical learning opportunities into their curricula. Programs that emphasize internships, fieldwork, and applied projects can better equip graduates for the workforce, helping them transition from the classroom to impactful careers. Explore Public Health 360 () and liberate yourself.
The challenge is clear, and so is the solution: bridging the gap between theory and practice.
by Team GHEP | Jul 2, 2024 | Blog
Different studies have demonstrated the environmental, economic, and health benefits of trees. These include studies demonstrating that trees help to reduce urban heat island effects, improve air and water quality, benefit human health, reduce stormwater volume and flooding, increase property values, reduce cooling costs, provide wildlife habitat, and mitigate the impacts of climate change. But which reasons resonate most with the community members that GHEP serves, across Prince George’s County?
Our Research and Curiosity
Here at GHEP we thoroughly enjoy working with the community, providing them with updated environmental and health information, and partnering with them to install trees for free, through our Family Tree Adoption Program. As a leading global health and research organization, we are constantly finding and absorbing new research. So recently our curiosity led us to wanting a better understanding of the communities we serve. So, we added a new, fun, and simple question to our online tree application. We asked our community members: “What’s your motivation for adopting trees?” We are excited to say that we got plenty of answers and we’re excited to share our findings with you!
Aesthetics is Leading the Way
Among the 264 community members in our community survey, the number 1 reason was related to aesthetics. 78% of participants said a reason they wanted trees was to beautify their homes, with 56% included adding beauty to their neighborhood as well. A majority of participants truly find nature beautiful, and want a piece to call their own. If you’re looking for a way to spice up the look of your home, a tree is something to consider and comes with many other benefits you’ll learn about today.
Passion to Increase Air Quality
Another popular reason for wanting trees installed is to improve the air quality, being a motivation for 72% of participants. As we all know, trees produce oxygen. As society continues to function, we produce gases that pollute the air, and are potentially harmful to us. These people worry about the respiratory health of themselves, their families, and their neighborhood. This is one of their ways of addressing this issue, and helping those who live nearby.
Vanguards of Climate Change
Similar to improving air quality, 52% want to help combat climate change. As previously stated, trees produce oxygen, and us humans produce gases through energy usage, as well as respiration (aka breathing). We produce a lot of gases and one major gas is Carbon Dioxide. While carbon dioxide is necessary for life on Earth, the increased concentration in the atmosphere can be dangerous for everyone. CO2 is a greenhouse gas, and it helps trap heat from sunlight. As greenhouse gas levels increase, more and more heat is trapped in the Earth, causing many problems, spawning from a global rise in temperature. Problems such as: global sea level increase, droughts, heat waves, bigger wildfires, and food shortages, can all occur. Thankfully plants use atmospheric CO2 to live and create oxygen for us to breathe, helping to bring that number down.
Local Water Quality Improvement
A less obvious benefit to planting trees is improving the local water quality, as it motivated 32% of participants. Trees love water, and when it rains they absorb as much as they want. This decreases the amount of water that runs off to local waterways. But as this water travels over streets and yards, it picks up sediments, pollutants, and trash, introducing all of these into our waterways. In addition to that, reducing the amount of rainwater entering local waterways, slowing erosion of riverbanks. And on a more personal level, it decreases the chance your basement or street will flood.
How About Energy Savings?
The least common reasons are “saving on energy bills” and “other”. For those 20% interested in a more measurable benefit of trees, they can reduce your energy bills year-round. In the summer, a well placed tree(s) can provide shade for your house, reducing the temperature indoors and reducing the need to run the a/c as much. And in the winter, well placed trees or bushes can serve as a windbreak, preventing the cold wind from sucking the heat from your house. In turn, making the heating in your home more effective.
Unpacking Other Motivators
“Other” motivations pushed 17% of participants to order trees. These consisted of many reasons such as providing habitat for wildlife, enjoying food from your trees, and much more. Regardless of your reason, we appreciate every one of you who orders or plants trees. You are making a difference for everyone, so thank you. We hope you found our insights interesting and learned something while reading.
As much as we learned already, we still want to learn more! So, what pushes you to plant trees in your home or communities? Feel free to let us know.
by Romuladus Azuine | May 26, 2024 | Blog
Unfortunately, many graduates, after completing the degree, are unable to find jobs in public health courses. This practice is quite common, and many holders of a BSPH or an MPH and even higher degrees in public health remain jobless for over a year.
In this blog post, we will identify the unemployment problem among public health graduates and discuss some of the suitable solutions. We will also look further into the employment barriers and, most importantly, how specialized training programs, such as PH360, will bridge your graduation and employment.
These challenges and opportunities will give graduates a career map of how to secure meaningful jobs in public health.
The Unemployment Crisis Among Public Health Graduates
A substantial percentage of graduates in BSPH, MPH, and even doctoral studies remain unemployed for significant periods, some for even up to 1 year after graduating. These statistics are alarming because public health professionals are entrusted with the health of an entire community.
Even when COVID-19 has made public health a necessity globally, highly qualified professionals still fail to get the required jobs. This ultimately points to the gap between the need for public health expertise and the available job opportunities.
Reasons Behind High Unemployment Rates
Other reasons for the high levels of unemployment include the following:
Saturation of the Job Market
Over the last decade, the number of public health graduates has considerably saturated the job market. The competition is tight, with more candidates vying for a limited number of positions.
Lack of Practical Experience
A majority of academic programs focus more on theoretical knowledge than the practical application of skills. The graduates find that they are well-acquainted with the issues of public health but are grossly deficient in the practical aspect of the employment package valued by employers. This disparity in practical training factors in an unsympathetic transition into the real world of work.
Poor Networking Opportunities
Networking is at the core of job acquisition. Still, most graduates lack professional networks to facilitate job acquisition. Additionally, opportunities to meet industry professionals and potential employers are limited during academic programs.
Consequences of Unemployment
Long periods of unemployment come with significant stress, both mentally and financially. A general ill state of health may be compromised by feelings of inadequacy, anxiety, and possibly depression. In this case, there will also be financial distress from student loans.
The public health sector also suffers when qualified professionals cannot find employment. A shortage of skilled workers can hinder the ability of public health organizations to effectively address health crises and implement preventive measures. This gap in the workforce undermines efforts to improve community health outcomes.
The Need for Practical Experience and Skills
Nowadays, employers want to see the following in the candidates:
Hands-on Training
Public health is all about practical experience. To fill the gap between classroom training and work practice, the graduates need opportunities to apply their knowledge in the actual field and engage in professional training and community interaction projects.
Skills in Demand
Employers now need teams with unique skill sets that include data analysis and epidemiology, health communication, and project management. Graduates who possess these skills are in a better position to get jobs. Other soft skills in great demand in public health are teamwork, leadership, and problem-solving.
Bridging the Gap
Programs and post-graduation training initiatives will play a central role in helping graduates get jobs through the experience and practical skills they acquire. They shall offer structured hands-on learning through mentorship and professional development.
Introduction to PH360 Hands-On Workforce Development Program
PH360 is an answer to all the challenges faced by public health graduates. It helps graduates with adequate, practical experience, preparing them to land jobs in public health even in a competitive market.
PH360 offers public health training in a comprehensive approach that combines academics with practical training. It will thus provide practical learning through training on how to do it and real-life projects to give participants the ability to apply the learned material in real life.
The PH360 skill development program aims to link academic knowledge with practical health experience. The program aims to raise the employability of graduates by providing the skills and practice that employers demand.
How PH360 Helps You Get Jobs In Mental Health?
Hands-on Training
The course is highly practical, with students undergoing real-world projects to hone their skills. Thus, the practical approach helps graduates build a strong portfolio to prove their competency before employers.
Linking with the Industry
PH360 links in collaboration with different organizations and authorities at the governmental and nongovernmental levels whose activities are linked to public health. This brings about chances of internship, placement, and collaboration on different projects. This vital link serves as a gateway for the participants to get an easy reach to potential employers.
Career Services
The program is linked with detailed career services involving resume development, interview skills, and job search strategies. Modularly, the career services aim to equip graduates with skills on how to present themselves best before employers and be confident about handling and maneuvering the job space.
The program is thriving, with a majority of the graduates having been employed in the public health sector barely some months after leaving the course.
Conclusion
The unemployment crisis among public health graduates is a significant concern, but programs like PH360 offer a viable solution. PH360 equips you with the practical skills, industry links, and after-care career support that enables a graduate to have a seamless transition from academic training to professional employment. For those struggling to find jobs in public health, PH360 represents an open gate into a career of fulfillment and positive change.
Visit the PH360 website for more information.
by Romuladus Azuine | May 21, 2024 | Blog
The public health system is one of the most significant and rapidly evolving global health frameworks. In such a situation, it becomes difficult for fresh graduates to secure jobs in top public health programs, especially if they do not have any experience, an understanding of where to look, or how to look for positions. That’s where the Public Health 360’s (PH360) hands-on workforce development program comes in as a rescuer. It is a gateway for aspiring professionals to prepare themselves for careers and to work to get the job of their liking in the critical public health sector.
Want to know more about how this program can enhance your job prospects? Read ahead.
Why Pursue a Public Health program?
Public health programs, like PH360, offer much more than you would have learned in the classroom. This life-transforming experience will prepare you for a meaningful career in public health. Predominant number of public health programs offer graduate programs in public health such as masters and doctorate degrees. An increasingly number of universities are also offering undergraduate degrees. This means that the academic preparation for public health is covered. However, what is not often covered is how to convert the academic learning to employment opportunities. The employment opportunities are there, but there are no qualified hands to take on those positions.
The great advantage is the intensive skill development of fresh graduates.
Incredibly, you can apply theoretical knowledge to real problems in public health and learn more about data analysis, which is required in making public health decisions. Also, you get a chance to work on your communication skills to deliver complex health information in a manner that is understandable to the public.
Managing public health projects through the various stages enables graduates to acquire important project management skills: planning, execution, and evaluating impactful health interventions.
What’s more?
PH360 is a way to create and build professional relationships. With such experience, you can interact with professionals and mentors who will give you great career advice and opinions. PH360 fellows come from different parts of the world giving you an opportunity to work together with a global cohort that is not often found on your academic programs.
Most of the time, the network established becomes very important in growing your career and securing job opportunities after the internship. Besides, more public health sector opportunities are opened by participating in workshops, meetings, and other networking events.
The overall infrastructure of these public health programs is as broad and varied as the setting and content of the individual program itself. Some fresh graduates find themselves within government agencies, learning the ins and outs of public policy and program administration. Others may be working with community non-profit organizations, encouraging better health outcomes through education and advocacy.
How Public Health Programs Get You a Job?
Public health programs are a strategic career move that can greatly improve your job prospects within the public health sector. Perhaps the most immediate benefit you get is an improved resume.
In a very competitive job market, professional experience shows a potential employer that you have more than theoretical knowledge. This shows them you have practical skills and demonstrated commitment to public health.
Interestingly, our program, PH360, provides a real-life experience that is important for personal and professional development. With us, you work on real projects whose outcomes affect things. Such an experience is invaluable because you get a firsthand feel of the daily challenges and rewards of working in the public health sector.
Ultimately, you sharpen your problem-solving and critical-thinking skills.
Another advantage is that this experience can help you decide the career that suits you best. This will make you strategic in job searches and enable you to focus on opportunities that fit into long-term career goals.
Simply put, public health programs are a significant investment in the career of a student pursuing public health. The course prepares students more for employability in the real world by enhancing their résumé through practical experiences. Further, it provides a route toward permanent employment, which aids you in making calculated career choices based on real experiences.
How to Maximize Your Job Prospects with Public Health 360 Training Programs?
Public Health 360 Training programs are one of the pinnacles of career-focused training for students or fresh graduates in the field of public health. With the current design, Public Health 360 Training programs step into the gap between academic study and on-the-ground experience in preparing graduates and undergraduates alike for the challenges they will face in their public health careers.
An All-Inclusive Curriculum
A wide curriculum accompanies public health with Public Health 360 Training programs. It covers key competencies needed in the public health workforce. Such training considers areas of focus, such as epidemiology, biostatistics, health policy, and the practices entailed in community health. This ensures that you will be technically prepared for public health roles and stay ahead of the curve.
Hands-on Experience
The practical experience provided is enormous. You are put in place to use your academic skills to find solutions to complicated health problems. Hence, you gain enormous hands-on experience. These experiences allow you to relate your knowledge directly to solving actual problems and, hence, to an outlook for good judgment and self-efficacy in boosting professional settings.
Exceptional Job Opportunities
Public Health 360 training programs have been successful in job placements, where most graduates secure meaningful positions in public health settings a short period after completion. Some are even facilitated with career services such as building resumes, preparing for interviews, and placing them in jobs, giving you a higher possibility of employment.
The high level of training and exposure that emanates from the experiences makes it possible for most graduates to secure positions in public health, especially in their specializations.
The Takeaway Message
Public health remains one of the fastest-growing fields, with an increasing need for professionals capable of applying modern solutions to complex health issues.
“PH360 is that golden opportunity to step into a rapidly changing field—equipped and ahead of the others. In this way, the virtue of public health programs is gargantuan.”
The public health program experience is, therefore, not only a learning process but also a very important step toward a successful career. The experience gained from these programs provides you with the skills and knowledge you need to lead a successful professional life.
Still, more importantly, it provides insight into the opportunities for professionalism. Engaging deeply with the field under the guidance of hands-on experience, you understand your career aspiration and the dynamics in the public health sector much better.
So, if you envision that one day, you will make public health your career choice. Make the strategic move by joining the PH360 training program to bridge the gap between graduation and the first job.
by Jordan Sessoms | Apr 22, 2024 | Blog
In case you were unaware, last year, Maryland took a bold step towards a greener future with the launch of its “5 Million Trees Initiative.” The goal of this ambitious program is to plant five million trees across the state by 2031, making a significant impact on the local environment and our communities for decades to come.
The initiative, spearheaded by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR), in partnership with the Chesapeake Bay Trust Urban Trees Award Program, aims to significantly increase tree cover throughout the state, by carrying out planting efforts and funding NGOs’ and nonprofits’ private tree planting efforts. This comes as a response to address the urgent need for solutions to many environmental issues, as well as a remedy to many human issues. Trees play a crucial role in the world and the health of the environment.
Trees are the answer to a multitude of problems the world is currently facing. The public’s number one issue is addressing climate change. Trees not only absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to grow, they also slow the release of carbon into the atmosphere. By establishing dense root systems, trees help keep carbon dioxide from escaping the soil.
Maryland was suffering from deforestation through logging and construction development. Maryland was losing forest cover, but our wetland ecosystems were more impacted. Maryland’s wetland ecosystems are the home to many species of animals which rely on that habitat for survival or reproduction. Wetlands also serve as massive carbon sinks, being able to hold more carbon dioxide than a forest of the same size. They serve as a protective barrier between the local waters and the communities nearby, protecting the local communities from flooding and weather events, and protecting the water from runoff, sediments, and pollution. Maryland has acknowledged this, and the 5 Million Trees Initiative has one of their objectives as increasing forest cover and restoring wetlands.
Trees aren’t only a path to improve problems that have arisen in the environment, but they can also be used to fix problems that families face daily. Another goal of the 5 Million Trees Initiative was to address the lack of trees in urban and underserved areas. While we at GHEP hold the environment dear to our hearts, our efforts lie in improving the lives of people everyday.
At GHEP, we aim to improve social factors that influence health outcomes. One of our methods is through tree planting. The presence of a tree canopy can massively influence the health of the locals. Trees provide clean air for everyone and potentially food. On top of that trees absorb stormwater, which can help combat flooding; something that can be financially devastating to some families. Most importantly, the shade tree canopies produce, can drastically affect the temperature at street level. The difference can be up to 20 degrees Fahrenheit. This can lead to families having an increase in their power bill, that they may be unable to afford, or at worst, heat casualties if water and air conditioning are not available.
We care, and alongside the state of MD and fellow organizations, we aim to improve the lives of everyone with trees. If you reside in Prince George’s County, Maryland, and own/rent a home, consider signing up for our Family Tree Adoption Program. If you are interested, apply now and tell your friends.
Sources:
Maryland Department of Natural Resources. (2023, June 1). Five Million Trees Please: Maryland Rolls Out 5 Million Trees Initiative. Retrieved from https://news.maryland.gov/dnr/2023/06/01/five-million-trees-please-maryland-rolls-out-5-million-trees-initiative/
Chesapeake Bay Foundation. (2021, July). Maryland’s 5 Million Tree Program Will Help Protect the Shore. Save the Bay Blog. Retrieved from https://www.cbf.org/blogs/save-the-bay/2021/07/marylands-5-million-tree-program-will-help-protect-the-shore.html
by Romuladus Azuine | Apr 10, 2024 | Blog
As we all have witnessed, the COVID-19 pandemic led to a significant shift from traditional in-person learning to virtual public health programs. However, these public health programs are more than just today’s educational requisites. Remote public health internships, in fact, opened gateways to new and exciting opportunities for growing numbers of young talent aspiring to make a career.
The most important part is these internships prepare students and professionals alike with actual experience, which is an integral component of making successful careers in the years to come. If you are here, chances are you are looking for the best virtual public health internship to help you through the process. Thankfully, we are here to help you.
In this blog post, we will help you through the nitty-gritty of securing a remote internship in public health while telling you tips and tricks to maximize your learning experience once you are in a public health internship.
Remote Public Health Internship: The Basics
“The remote public health internship is a virtual experience for students and early career professionals to have an opportunity to exercise work related to public health projects, research, and initiatives without having to physically be at the site of an internship.”
These internships vary widely in scope. For example, they may be the typical type where students conduct research in public health under senior mentorship. In contrast, you can also choose programs that help you learn the management of the public health system or guide you through the process of policy development. The common thread in these programs is that they can give you real-world experience of public health principles and skills in a virtual setting.
Additionally, you must know the difference between a few terms – internship, practicum, and capstone – to guide you through the different stages of education. While a practicum is generally a focused, narrower experience within a specified area of public health, an internship offers a much broader experience. On the other hand, capstone projects require students to conduct comprehensive research or program development that ties together the practical and theoretical components of the public health education program.
Why Should You Go for a Remote Public Health Internship?
Remote public health internships offer a wide range of benefits. First and most importantly, they are flexible, so you can easily balance your studies, work, and personal life. Second, you get far-reaching access to the best organizations and experts worldwide, regardless of your geographical location.
These remote opportunities help you implement theoretical knowledge in practice, acquire professional skills, and gain professional contacts in your area of interest. This practical experience is often a key point for employers in the public health sector, and internship experience becomes central to preparing for jobs in public health. Therefore, we can confidently say that the experience from these public health internships helps you prepare for and ultimately secure a professional job in the field of public health.
How to Find the Best Remote Public Health Internship for You?
Identify Your Goals
To secure an internship that might change your life for good, it pays to fully understand your career objectives. You may be fascinated with epidemiology, biostatistics, social and behavioral sciences, policy and administration, community health, global health issues, or public health policy. Understanding these basics helps you pinpoint an internship that offers targeted experience, enriching learning and professional development.
Evaluate the Internship Provider
If you want to make a difference by enrolling in a remote public health internship, you should choose highly credited and reputed organizations. Based on reviews from students and professionals, we are one of the organizations with the highest reputation in the field of public health training. Our remote internships are high-quality, rigorous, relevant to current public health challenges, and would add considerable value to any resume. Our remote public health programs are designed to align with the competencies of the Council for Education in Public Health (CEPH). And why is this important? This means that the program and activities that you complete while participating in our remote public health internships are specifically targeted at giving you the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform creditable in an entry-level position in public health.
University Partnerships
You can find opportunities through your university’s partnerships with public health organizations. We cooperate very closely with universities and colleges, providing remote public health internships that allow students to back the theory up with practice. Some of the universities we partner with include George Washington University, Liberty University, Eastern Washington University, Florida International University, University of West Florida, Capella University, and Walden University to mention but a few. Establishing these partnerships involve vetting of the PH360 program and review of the qualification of the staff who deliver the program and who become your supervisors, preceptors, or mentors during the programs. This allows you to enjoy the smooth transition of your academic curriculum into the actual running of public health programs.
Utilize Professional Associations and Platforms
Last but not least, professional public health associations and dedicated online platforms are excellent resources for finding internship opportunities.
Public Health 360: Best Remote Internship for You!
Public Health 360 (PH360) is not just another regular program. It is a unique, cutting-edge workforce development initiative devised by Global Health and Education Projects (GHEP) to bridge the gap between academic theory and field practice. PH360 ensures that you complete the remote internship mastering the three core functions of public health – assurance, assessment, policy development undergirded by research and service.
PH360 offers hands-on experience for a diverse group of individuals,
- Graduates from non-public health majors.
- Undergraduates from health or non-health-related majors who aim to bridge the gap between their academic knowledge and an actual job.
- Practicing public health practitioners who want to polish their skills.
- Students at all academic levels who need a mentored, project-based internship experience.
What Makes Us Stand Out?
We understand there are too many options for finding the best remote public health internship. The search becomes even more challenging when you aim for meaningful hands-on experience. Knowing the complexity and seriousness of the situation, we are offering you the best program you can find.
Our remote public health internship, PH 360, differs due to our uncompromised commitment to an immersive, impactful, and complete learning experience. We offer you the most rewarding curriculum presented by top scientists and leaders in public health. Thus, our internships will help practice skills development and experience improvement with employability enhancement to enable a shining professional career in public health with a global perspective.
How to Maximize Your Learning Experience?
Now that you have nabbed the perfect remote public health internship opportunity, it’s time to really make the most of it. For this, you must set clear, achievable goals and stay on top of your work by engaging your supervisor and team with project contributions.
If you proactively work and continuously ask for constructive feedback, you will surely have an extraordinary and enriching experience. Yet another very crucial way of making the best of your internship time is networking.
Get to understand who the professionals in this organization are, attend virtual seminars and workshops, and participate in relevant online forums. Through this, you will understand more about public health and possibly get job opportunities.
The Bottom Line
Remote public health internships offer the most flexible pathway for students and early professionals to get experience in their desired field, and there is no second thought to it. Through these opportunities, you can get the essential skills, develop a professional network, and form the foundation for successful careers in public health.
So why the wait?
Join our top-notch internship programs, and let us be the stepping stone toward the fulfilment of your career.
