BATON ROUGE, La – Together, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana and Baton Rouge Community College (BRCC) have created a curriculum that will give students real work experience and produce a skilled talent pipeline to fill the insurer’s ongoing and future workforce needs.
“We are pleased to partner with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana to help fill a growing workforce need in in the Capital Region,” said BRCC Chancellor Dr. Willie E. Smith. “Blue Cross has been a staple in our state for more than 85 years. They have a commitment to our community and a plan for diversity and inclusion, which are some of the things we foster for our students. This partnership will give our graduates work experience, credentials and create career opportunities.”
Students who graduate from the two-semester BRCC program receive credentials that meet the experience requirements for many entry-level positions in Blue Cross’ Benefits Operations Division. The curriculum offers key training needed for high-demand customer service jobs, not just at Blue Cross but at other companies that serve customers.
Catherine Thornton, director of Talent Acquisition and Workforce Development at Blue Cross, says this program is a great opportunity for students looking for a quick and cost-effective path to a career. “At Blue Cross, that career comes with market-based pay, benefits, additional job opportunities and the potential for advancement,” Thornton says.
Students have begun enrolling for this program, which starts in the fall semester. To register, go to mybrcc.edu.
“We hope to have our first graduates from the program in May 2023,” said Thornton. “While this is not an automatic guarantee of employment at Blue Cross, it does give the students an exposure to skills and experience necessary to be considered for the roles.”
The program is Federal Pell Grant eligible. To learn how to apply for the grant, students should go to studentaid.gov.
Blue Cross officials said this type of strategic partnership is part of an ongoing trend of businesses and community colleges working together to produce skilled workers who can fulfill employers’ ongoing workforce demands.
About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana is committed to our mission to improve the health and lives of Louisianians. Founded in New Orleans in 1934, we are a tax-paying nonprofit health insurer with offices in every major region to serve our customers. We have been recognized for the past four years as an honoree of The Civic 50, named by Points of Light as one of the 50 most community-minded companies in the United States.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. We are a private mutual company, owned by our policyholders, with an independent Louisiana Board of Directors and no shareholders. We invite all Louisianians to visit our website at www.bcbsla.com or talk to us on social media @BCBSLA.
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