Beyond Limits Education (BLE) is honored to be a Catalyst Grant recipient through Sierra Jobs First.
This award follows the March vote by the 21-member Governing Council of Sierra Jobs First—a regional collaborative representing seven counties in the eastern and central Sierra as part of the statewide California Jobs First initiative. In total, $9 million was awarded to the Hybrid EMS Training Program and 39 other projects that met pre-implementation, planning-phase criteria for Catalyst funding under California Jobs First. Funding was awarded to projects with the greatest potential to align with regional strategies for growing climate-resilient, equitable jobs in the Sierra region.
About Sierra Jobs First
Sierra Jobs First is a regional initiative focused on creating high-quality job growth, building climate resilience, and fostering economic prosperity across Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, Inyo, Mariposa, Mono, and Tuolumne counties.
It is one of 13 collaboratives statewide formed through California Jobs First (formerly the Community Economic Resilience Fund), a $600 million state initiative designed to create high-quality, broadly accessible jobs for all Californians. This project is facilitated by staff at Sierra Business Council, a nonprofit organization serving the region.
To receive updates or get involved with Sierra Jobs First, visit sierrajobsfirst.org/get-involved.
Why This Project Matters
Rural communities in the Sierra region face significant barriers to both healthcare access and EMS training. Extended response times, healthcare workforce shortages, and limited access to Advanced Life Support (ALS) services continue to impact public safety.
Barriers to entering EMS careers remain high, including costly tuition and materials, rigid course schedules, outdated equipment, and long commutes to training centers. EMS agencies across the region—both volunteer and paid—struggle to recruit and retain personnel. Some areas are at risk of losing ALS services, while others have none at all.
Our Catalyst Project Goals
BLE received $160,000 in Catalyst Grant funding through Sierra Jobs First to expand access to high-quality EMS training across the rural Sierra.
Key funding allocations include:
✅ $125,000 to:
- Contract a professional video production team to produce over 100 instructional and scenario-based videos.
- Hire an illustrator to create visual aids and inclusive imagery, supporting student learning while reflecting the cultural and demographic diversity of the Sierra region.
- Engage Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) to conduct detailed reviews of video and graphic content, strengthening instructional quality, cultural inclusivity, and regional relevance.
✅ $15,000 to establish an Instructor Development Program to build local teaching capacity.
✅ $20,000 for scholarships and a focused effort on diversity recruitment, increasing representation of underrepresented populations in EMS.
About the Hybrid EMS Training Program
BLE has been gradually developing a tiered hybrid EMS training program to break down barriers to education in the Sierra. This grant serves as the catalyst to advance this initiative from concept to reality.
Our mission is to:
✅ Offer flexible online coursework paired with high-quality in-person training.
✅ Expand entry-level and advanced EMS certifications, including Emergency Medical Responder (EMR), Wilderness First Responder (WFR), Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), Advanced EMT (AEMT), and Rural, Austere, and Wilderness EMS (WEMS).
✅ Collaborate with Cerro Coso College, Columbia College, EMS agencies, ski patrol teams, local fire districts, and hospitals to build a sustainable regional training model.
Our goal: increase EMS workforce diversity by 25% and graduate 150 new responders by 2028, with at least 80% retained locally to serve their communities.
Building Solutions Locally
This program is more than just a training opportunity—it’s a blueprint for rural resilience. From high school students to career changers, seasonal workers to volunteer firefighters, this initiative opens pathways to meaningful careers in EMS while strengthening community healthcare access.
We will share quarterly progress updates on the BLE website under the Catalyst Project Updates Series, offering behind-the-scenes insights into curriculum development, local partnerships, scholarship opportunities, and pilot course announcements.
💡 Stay tuned for updates—and thank you to all the partners helping make this project possible!
Acknowledgement: This article was generated with the assistance of OpenAI’s GPT-4. The generated content was reviewed, edited, and curated by Brigitte Denton and Sierra Jobs First to ensure accuracy and relevance. The header was generated using AI tools (OpenAI image generation) and customized for use by Beyond Limits Education. Featured Image Credit: Brigitte Denton
