Mercy & Unity receive 2002 Exemplary Employer Award

FRIDLEY, Minn. 01/27/2003--

Mercy & Unity Hospitals recently were presented the 2002 Exemplary Employer Award from the Anoka County WorkForce Center. The award is given twice a year to a local employer who is active with the WorkForce Center.
Mark Wheeldon, chair of the Anoka County Workforce Council, praised the hospitals for their leadership in attending monthly job fairs and regularly hiring WorkForce Center clients. The hospitals were specifically recognized for their work on the following jobs programs:

Anoka Works - Community Transition Project - Working together with the Anoka County Job Training Center, the project partners devised a program to place low-income individuals into entry-level positions at Mercy & Unity.
Anoka Works - Skill Training Project - Funded by the McKnight Foundation and developed in conjunction with the Job Training Center, this program is designed to serve low-wage workers with dependent children. The project supports training patient care positions, such as nursing assistants and registered nurses, to improve opportunities for further job advancement.
H1B - Regional HealthCare Project - With help from the U.S. Department of Labor, this projects aims to help Mercy & Unity employees with tuition support and skill development so they can climb the ladder to higher paying jobs.

The Anoka County WorkForce Center and its 50-plus affiliate sites across Minnesota provide the tools, resources, and services necessary for employment, training, and related workforce development needs. The center is located at 1201 89th Avenue NE, Suite 235, Blaine. For more information, call (763) 783-4800. Mercy & Unity Hospitals, located in Coon Rapids and Fridley, are non-profit hospitals that serve the northern Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area. More information about the hospitals is available at www.mercyunity.allina.com ..