Discovery Communications Highlights Job Opportunities in Healthcare as Part of 'Discover Your Skills' Job Growth and Skills Development Initiative
New Content Includes Online Resources Through DiscoverYourSkills.com and PSAs Featuring On-Air Talent on Discovery Fit & Health
(3BL Media) Silver Spring, MD - August 29, 2012 - Discovery Communications announced the launch of new online and on-air resources highlighting job opportunities in the healthcare industry as part of its ongoing ‘Discover Your Skills’ initiative, a multimedia public affairs campaign designed to provide unemployed and underemployed Americans with access to critical resources for obtaining marketable job skills and expertise, and to raise awareness of career opportunities in skilled trade industries.
The new content includes online training and information resources focused on healthcare careers on www.DiscoverYourSkills.com, including resources from Virtual Career Network – Healthcare (www.vcn.org/healthcare/), as well as two new public service announcements (PSAs) that have begun airing on Discovery Fit & Health. The PSAs feature Discovery Fit & Health on-air personalities and healthcare professionals Dr. Jan Garavaglia from DR. G: MEDICAL EXAMINER and Dr. Janet Taylor of FACING TRAUMA. The PSAs can be viewed online at www.DiscoverYourSkills.com.
“As highlighted in the new ‘Discover Your Skills’ PSAs, there are projected to be more than four million job openings in the healthcare industry by 2015, many of which require just a two-year degree or less in training,” said David Zaslav, President and CEO of Discovery Communications. “Discovery is proud to leverage our on-air resources and the firsthand experience and expertise of our Discovery Fit & Health talent – who are real-life professionals working in the healthcare field – to raise awareness of these opportunities and provide access to critical resources through DiscoverYourSkills.com.”
‘Discover Your Skills’ was launched in May of 2011 to help address the growing gap between the needs of employers and the skills of America’s workforce. It has leveraged Discovery’s resources to highlight career opportunities in skilled trades, and expressed the importance of training workers to fill critical jobs in manufacturing, health care, energy, technology, construction and other industries. Previous ‘Discover Your Skills’ PSAs have featured Mike Rowe of Discovery Channel’s DIRTY JOBS WITH MIKE ROWE, Buddy Valastro of TLC’s CAKE BOSS and Lou Diamond Phillips of Military Channel’s AN OFFICER AND A MOVIE, among others, and they have aired across Discovery’s portfolio of U.S. networks.
As part of ‘Discover Your Skills,’ Discovery is partnering with Skills for America's Future, a non-partisan partnership of businesses and community colleges, announced by President Obama, with a mission to address the dual problems of unemployment and the difficulty many employers face in finding workers with the right skills. Discovery President and CEO David Zaslav is a member of the Advisory Board of Skills for America's Future. Skills for America's Future, U.S. Department of Education and U.S. Department of Labor collaborated with Discovery on the development of DiscoverYourSkills.com.
Additionally, as part of the effort, Discovery has partnered with Montgomery College, in its hometown of Montgomery County, Md., to launch career development programs for Montgomery College students. The programs include career panels highlighting job opportunities in the media industry, workshops on resume writing and interview techniques, group and one-on-one mentorships with Discovery professionals, and internship opportunities at the company
‘Discover Your Skills' is part of Discovery's Impact programs, which leverage the power of Discovery's brands, businesses and employees to give back and make a direct impact on the communities in which we live and work.
About Discovery Impact
Through its Discovery Impact programs, Discovery Communications (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK) leverages the power of its brands, businesses and employees to give back to the world. From programming that inspires and educates to annual events that make a direct impact on the communities in which we live and work, Discovery strives to celebrate, support and sustain the majesty of the earth's people, animals and natural beauty. For more information about how Discovery is making an impact, please visit: http://impact.discovery.com.
About Discovery Fit & Health
Discovery Fit & Health, a division of Discovery Communications, Inc. (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK), entertains viewers with gripping, real-life dramas, featuring storytelling that chronicles the human experience from cradle to grave. Network programming includes forensic mysteries, amazing medical stories, emergency room trauma, baby and pregnancy programming, parenting challenges, and stories of extreme life conditions. Discovery Fit & Health also features popular online and social media destinations found at DiscoveryFitandHealth.com, facebook.com/DiscoveryHealth and twitter.com/disc_health.
About Discovery Communications
Discovery Communications (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK) is the world's #1 nonfiction media company reaching more than 1.8 billion cumulative subscribers in 209 countries and territories. Discovery is dedicated to satisfying curiosity through 149 worldwide television networks, led by Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, Science and Investigation Discovery, as well as U.S. joint venture networks OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network, The Hub and 3net, the first 24-hour 3D network. Discovery also is a leading provider of educational products and services to schools and owns and operates a diversified portfolio of digital media services, including Revision3. For more information, please visit www.discoverycommunications.com.
