From Gig Work to Healthcare Career: How the Mosaic Center Prepares Indianapolis Job Seekers for What’s Next

You don’t need a four-year degree to build a meaningful healthcare career in Indianapolis. You just need the right starting point.

A lot of people walk through the doors of the Mosaic Center for Work, Life and Learning thinking they need a job fast. Maybe you’re driving for DoorDash, working a seasonal retail job, or you’ve been told you’re ready to apply but you don’t know where to start. Whatever brought you here, your first step is the same: a conversation.

Career Coaching Starts at Orientation

Before anything else, you’ll meet our Mosaic Center coaches at Orientation. At the end, they will have brief one-on-one conversations with you. This isn’t an interview in the traditional sense. It’s a real conversation about your work history, your interests and where you want your career to go. Because the Mosaic Center is powered by IU Health, coaches evaluate candidates against actual IU Health hiring standards. Some people leave orientation ready to continue with the recruitment team right away. Others have what it takes but could use a little more preparation to get there, and that’s where Career Readiness Training comes in.

An Earn-to-Learn Bridge, Built for Real Life

When a coach sees potential in a candidate who isn’t quite recruiter-ready yet, they extend an invitation to join Career Readiness Training, a three-week paid earn-to-learn program designed to close the gap.

“It’s helping individuals who have a desire to really understand what’s needed and how they can succeed, how they can grow personally and professionally,” says Tawnya McCreary, who leads the program in partnership with the Mosaic Center.

The program runs three hours a day in the evenings, so you don’t have to walk away from your current income to participate. You’ll build self-awareness, learn how to navigate healthcare workplace culture and practice the kind of value-based interview skills that actually get people hired.

Each week builds on the last. Self-discovery. Healthcare culture. Interview readiness. Attendance and punctuality are tracked throughout because in a 24/7 healthcare environment, someone is always waiting for you to show up. Scrubs are even provided for free from day one so you feel like you already belong here.

"The hospital is a healing space," McCreary explains. "No matter what you're going through personally, you have to learn how to leave that at the door and show up fully for the people around you."

Your Coach Doesn’t Disappear After You’re Hired

What makes the Mosaic Center different from a typical job training program is what happens after. Coaches stay connected, helping you navigate shift changes, workplace questions and anything else that comes up during those important first months on the job.

“Breaking into healthcare isn’t easy, but this program works because we see the promise in Hoosiers,” says Rodney Francis, Executive Director of Workforce Development with IU Health. “We help them tap into their potential and provide the guidance and support that open doors to a future at IU Health. Nothing is given. Every opportunity is earned, and every step forward reflects their determination, their growth, and their readiness to launch a meaningful healthcare career.”

“Seeing people grow from day one to day 15, seeing the lightbulbs come on, those are the rewards for us,” McCreary adds.

That kind of ongoing support is what turns entry-level healthcare jobs into lasting careers.

Ready to Take the First Step?

You don’t have to figure this out alone. Everyone starts with a brief Orientation Session, to meet our coaches and see if the program is a fit for your life and your career goals. Not ready for orientation? Fill out our Get Started form and the Mosaic Center will be in touch to walk you through what comes next, including your invitation to the next available orientation session.
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