Medshore Ambulance builds its workforce through new program

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Medshore Ambulance is building its workforce with a new program to help potential emergency medical technicians reach certification in eight weeks.

The Anderson-based company launched a program this summer to help attract people to a profession facing a shortage of personnel, according to a news release.

The first round of the program got underway this month with classes starting July 20. Medshore plans to offer it again in September, when the first course is completed. The program includes an EMT-Basic course with free tuition, certification and testing, the news release said. Medshore Ambulance offers a training wage and full benefits package for the students who work as full-time employees during classroom hours throughout the course.

Tri-County Technical College is a partner in the program. Classroom instruction is provided by TCTC instructors at Medshore’s headquarters in Anderson, and students complete clinical and shift ride-alongs at Medshore on its 911 and interfacility ambulances.

“The EMS industry has a real need for talented, dedicated students to begin their careers in EMS,” Medshore Ambulance General Manager Josh Shore said in the release. “Medshore Ambulance has positions immediately available for these students, and this course is the first steppingstone toward continuing to develop their skills in EMS or entering other areas of the health care and public safety field.”

Those accepted into the free course will be onboarded to begin working on a Medshore ambulance in eight weeks, after passing the national registry exam, the release said. The course is offered with a two-year employment commitment.

“By providing a free class and a wage for them to complete training full-time, we hope to remove all financial barriers towards that goal,” Medshore Ambulance Vice President of Operations Jason Cooke, said in the release. “Upon passing their exam, our students are immediately able to work on an ambulance making up to $30,000 a year. With a company-sponsored paramedic class, they can advance their career to make up to $45,000 a year in a short time. This is a great opportunity.”

The coursework for the class will begin on July 20 and students will graduate from the course to take their national registry exams in September.

Founded in 1976, Medshore Ambulance Service is the largest privately-owned ambulance service in South Carolina and is the 9-1-1 service provider to Anderson, Barnwell and Bamberg counties. Medshore is a member of the Priority Ambulance national family of companies.