BELLINGHAM - Bellingham Technical College recently received a grant for more than $570,000 to help hospital and health-care workers get the education they need to earn degrees and certificates in more advanced areas in the industry.

The 2011-12 Hospital Employee Education and Training grant helps BTC and other colleges fund job re-training classes and programs, advising, childcare, transportation and other things currently employed health-care workers need to go back to school.

The program's goal is to help current hospital and clinic employees prepare for admission into nursing and other allied health programs. The program is geared towards people who need additional education to get into college and people who need general education and health prerequisites to get into advanced programs.

This is the third year BTC has received this grant. The school is partnering with Skagit Valley College; Whatcom Community College; Northwest Workforce Council; employee unions Service Employees International Union Healthcare, United Food and Commercial Workers 2 and the Washington State Nurses Association; and Northwest Alliance for Health Care Skills at five regional hospitals.