Public Health Jobs Corps plans 100k new jobs

As a new administration takes up the mantle of trying to stem the tide of #coronavirus infections in the United States, new programs are beginning to take shape. For many who are both waiting for the pandemic to be over and hopeful that jobs open up again soon in their area, the newly formed Public Health Jobs Corps and its promise to create 100k new jobs offers hope on two fronts.

What is the Public Health Jobs Corps?

The Public Health Job Corps is a newly created agency aimed at hiring Americans to work within their local communities to help stop the spread of COVID-19. This new department is being assembled now, but has plans to hire 100k Americans in jobs that advance public health efforts to end the pandemic. These jobs would be temporary/contract positions, but could offer an important opportunity to earn money for many unemployed Americans across the country.

What type of jobs will be available?

The Public Health Jobs Corps will hire from a wide variety of public health positions at many different levels of experience, including but not limited to positions like:

Vaccination and testing jobs

These jobs would include any type of work that helps people receive vaccinations or COVID-19 tests. As these efforts ramp up, more workers will likely be needed for roles such as:

• Giving vaccinations to Americans
• Administering COVID-19 tests to Americans
• Organizing vaccination and testing efforts
• Keeping vaccination and testing spaces clean and orderly

These roles could represent a number of different job titles and skill levels. The impact on slowing COVID-19 infections by vaccinating citizens against the virus could be massive.

Contact tracing jobs

Contact tracing professionals ensure that, when a person is infected, their point of contact with COVID-19 is determined. If they visited public spaces while infected, a contact tracer can also be expected to inform those businesses or institutions that there was an infected person at their establishment and help them determine how many others may have been exposed as a result.

These efforts help to track and control the spread of coronavirus by making sure that there is no lingering threat to the public safety of others after an infected person is in a commonly visited space.

Community support and outreach jobs

These jobs are likely to be organized around informing community members about vaccination efforts, where to get vaccinated, and gauging interest and availability in receiving a vaccine. These positions would be highly effective about mobilizing communities to get vaccinated once vaccines become widely available to the public and informing citizens about the benefits of getting vaccinated.

Is the Public Health Jobs Corps hiring now?

The Public Health Jobs Corps is currently in planning stages. A board of appointees called the Pandemic Testing Board are currently putting together a mobilization plan to get workers into these jobs as soon as possible. Once planning is complete, hiring is expected to begin at a rapid pace. Meaning that, if you’re interested in a job in this program, it’s important to track this hiring effort as it gets off the ground in your area.

How much will these jobs pay?

That remains unclear at this stage, however those who are already trained for medical work may earn more due to the extra skills they possess.

Will there be jobs in all communities?

The short answer is yes! This effort is meant to reach every corner of the United States, which means your community will have public health jobs available once planning for this effort is completed.

Are there public health positions that are open now?

There are some public health jobs available, however most will require extensive qualifications. If you have a degree in a health related field and want to help, you can check out opportunities in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to find out how you can get a COVID-19 related public health job now.

If you don’t have qualifications or have some health training, but no degree, you can check out the many opportunities in contact tracing or in your local pharmacies to get involved in public health and vaccine related work without having to wait for jobs with the Public Health Jobs Corps to become available.

Are you interested in a job at the Public Health Jobs Corps? Tell us why or why not