Careers & Education
Seeking a career in health care? Browse resources to explore education pathways, find programs, and connect with opportunities across Kentucky.
Kentucky Hospital Job Center
Search for current positions open at Kentucky hospitals, leading to exceptional careers.
Student & Hospital Education Resources
Explore an interactive map showing pre-licensure (RN and PN) nursing programs approved—or in the approval process—through the Kentucky Board of Nursing. Use it to identify programs by geography and plan your education path.
CPE provides statewide visibility into postsecondary programs and coordinates health workforce investments through HWIF and the Kentucky Healthcare Workforce Collaborative. Students and hospitals can use CPE’s Academic Program Inventory to locate health programs, identify regional training capacity, and find opportunities for new partnerships.
- Note: choose “51” under “CIP (2-Digit) in dropdown menu for “Health Professions and Related Programs”
The Kentucky Community and Technical College System includes 16 colleges and more than 70 campuses.
KDE’s CTE Health Science pathway introduces students to health careers and foundational skills that support entry into postsecondary health programs and hospital employment. Students can explore career options early; hospitals can engage through advisory roles, internships, and work-based learning.
Kentucky HOSA supports students exploring health careers through leadership development, technical skill-building, and competitive events aligned to health occupations. Connect with your local chapter to build skills and relationships with hospital professionals through mentorship, job shadowing, and site visits.
KCTCS offers health care programs statewide across nursing, allied health, and clinical fields. Explore program options and campuses to find the right fit for your education and career goals.
AHEC introduces students to health careers through hands-on programs including career fairs, summer enrichment, mentorship, and classroom activities. The AHEC Scholars program prepares future health professionals for practice in rural and underserved communities. Download the AHEC one-pager with district contacts to connect with your regional AHEC team.
The Kentucky Office of Adult Education provides academic and essential skills instruction to help adults earn credentials, build employability skills, and access postsecondary training. Hospitals can partner with adult education providers to support nontraditional learners entering health care programs through GED preparation, bridge programming, and foundational skills.
Use your military experience to find a fulfilling career in Kentucky. KYVALOR helps veterans and military spouses access over 44 accelerated career pathways that give credit for military education and experience—including health care roles where military training translates well to hospital team environments.
What is Career and Technical Education?
Career and Technical Education (CTE) is an essential component of the high school curriculum. For many students, it represents as much as a third of their high school experience. It is a critical component in meeting the needs of students in academic achievement, career exploration, career preparation and leadership development. Successful transition to postsecondary education, work or the military is one of the goals of Kentucky’s educational system. The percentage of students making successful transition is a component of the high school accountability index.
Postsecondary Readiness
Postsecondary Readiness is the attainment of the necessary knowledge, skills, and dispositions for a student to successfully transition to the next level of his or her educational career. All students with a G-code in Infinite Campus (IC) and grade 12 non-graduates are included in postsecondary readiness and are accountable based on the 100-day rule.
Kentucky AHEC Program Area Health Education Centers
AHEC was created by Congress in 1971 to enhance access to quality health care.
Kentucky Healthcare Workforce Collaborative
Kentucky’s Healthcare Workforce Collaborative (HWC) is a $10 million initiative funded by the legislature to bring together state leaders, policy experts, campus leadership and the health care industry to solve Kentucky’s health care crisis.
HealthForce Kentucky
HealthForce Kentucky is an effort to inspire careers in health care by providing wider access to the highest levels of instruction and technology. This unique collaboration involves nine colleges and universities along with numerous school districts across 16 counties in Western Kentucky.
Overview of Kentucky’s Healthcare Workforce Investment Fund
Kentucky recognized healthcare workforce shortages during the 2023 legislative session in part by establishing the Kentucky Healthcare Workforce Investment Fund administered by the Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE). Through public/private partnerships, this unique legislation incentivizes healthcare education programs, healthcare industry partners, and state leadership to strengthen the education and training pipeline of health care professions within Kentucky to better serve patients across the state. Within the fund, resources are reserved for healthcare training scholarships for Kentucky resident students and healthcare program incentives to reward performance and excellence among professional programs.