Despite decades of work to make higher education more accessible, significant obstacles still block many would-be students from ever attending college.

A spin-off benefit corporation from The University of Utah was recently launched—Proxima—to bring together higher education institutions, health care providers, community organizations and government policymakers to break down those barriers and educate and train Utahns from marginalized communities and populations for future jobs in hospitals and clinics.

With Proxima’s help, the university is already beginning to deliver on a promise made to the West Valley City community nearly three years ago when the U announced plans for a west-side hospital that would provide both jobs and education opportunities.

“The problem is not that we’re lacking people. The problem is that we have tremendous barriers to education. These barriers range from financial to social, informational, geographical, and more,” said Rich Saunders, chief executive officer of Proxima. “There are thousands and thousands of people who are willing and capable but who struggle with accessing the education needed to become a health care professional.”

The effort is growing just as Utah’s health care industry faces a critical workforce shortage:

• Utah has the lowest prevalence of nurses in the country and nearly 3,000 open RN jobs.
• Demand outweighs supply for almost every type of mental health practitioner in Utah. The current number of child, family, and social workers only meets around 44% of Utah’s needs.
• Utah has mental health provider shortages in every county and fewer mental health providers per 100,000 population than the national average (222 vs. 334 in the U.S.).

Launched early in 2024, Proxima uses a “care team” approach, much like that used in health care, to identify potential learners, help them address basic needs, visualize a future in health care, and find the higher education program that works best for them. Whether someone needs to finish a GED or is applying to Salt Lake Community College’s certified nursing assistant (CNA) program, Proxima helps them to visualize the next step in health care training, push past any barriers, get ready for employment, and map out their long-term career advancement, Saunders said.

The partners work to connect students to an education that meets growing workforce needs in the health care industry. Benefit corporations are for-profit companies that are dedicated to creating a “general public benefit,” guided by how their work impacts society and the environment.

An initial cohort of 9 students from Roots Charter High School in West Valley City began their CNA training in mid-February and are now completing their certification and applying for jobs. Proxima’s proof of concept phase now has around 130 participants who are either planning, enrolled, engaged in training or have completed their training. Most are focused on CNA, EMT or medical assistant programs, each with a Proxima-facilitated career advancement plan to follow.

“I am not sure we would ever have the support without Proxima,” said Alisa Muhlestein, a counselor at Roots High School. “The majority of our students are not able to have guidance for careers and jobs. Our students are used to being dropped and unable to contact anyone, and they need continued support.”

The team focuses on six pillars: careful upfront screening; intensive coaching and advising; trust-building through consistency; wraparound services and resources; pre-training and tailored workshops; and finally, job shadowing and professional coaching.

This year, hundreds of Proxima participants are expected to complete their academic and workforce-readiness training.

“At first, I was just excited to graduate with a CNA certificate, but now I’m already planning my next steps toward becoming a nurse,” said Natalie, a high school student and Proxima scholar.