Standing Out in the Federal Job Market: Leveraging Continuing Education and Training Programs
In today’s competitive federal job market, standing out can be challenging. About 364,000 federal employees work in health-related jobs, making it the largest group of workers in the federal government.¹ While many opportunities are available, the high demand for skilled professionals means that just meeting basic qualifications won’t cut it.
There are many ways to get ahead in your job search, like building strong cover letters, optimizing your USAJOBS profile, or strengthening your personal brand. But one of the best ways to stand out is by continuing education. It not only helps you keep your license but also keeps you updated on new medical developments and opens up chances for promotions.
This article explains why ongoing learning is crucial for federal healthcare workers and explores ways to stay ahead in the competitive job market.
Why Ongoing Learning is Important for Federal Healthcare Workers
Ongoing education can feel like extra work. It takes time, costs money, and pushes you to learn new things. But despite the effort, it’s something you can’t afford to skip during your job search.
In federal healthcare, staying informed isn’t just about career growth—it’s about providing top-quality care, keeping your license, and staying prepared for the future.
Advancing in Your Career
In any career, ongoing learning opens doors to better opportunities. For federal healthcare workers, continuing education can bring you better job offers and higher chances of succeeding in your job search.
Beyond hiring goals, ongoing learning can also lead to promotions, leadership roles, and specialized positions in surgery, mental health, or emergency response. These roles offer higher salaries and a chance to contribute at a larger scale.
Improving Patient Care
Federal healthcare is about providing quality service. Whether it's helping underserved communities or veterans, healthcare workers can't do their jobs well if their knowledge is outdated.
Medicine is constantly evolving. New treatments, emerging diseases, and updated procedures mean healthcare workers must keep learning. Without ongoing education, they may struggle with inefficient workflows or make mistakes that put patients at risk.
Staying Licensed and Following Regulations
Just like students must meet graduation requirements, healthcare workers need to complete continuing education courses to keep their licenses. Because healthcare changes over time, what makes someone qualified for a particular medical practice today may not be enough in five years or more.
Federal agencies have guidelines to ensure professionals stay updated with the best developments in medicine and healthcare. Without ongoing education, they risk losing their ability to practice.
How Federal Healthcare Workers Can Keep Learning
Here are some of the best ways federal healthcare workers can continue learning to stay ahead of the competitive job market.
1. Continuing Education Units
Continuing Education Units (CEUs) are special credits that help professionals keep their licenses and certifications current. You can guarantee the value of CEUs to your career because government agencies regulate them to maintain high standards of healthcare work.
For instance, the Continuing Education Program Office (CEPO) accredits CE activities for healthcare workers in the military. These programs help doctors, nurses, and other professionals care for veterans, active-duty service members, and their families.²
CEU programs offer online courses, workshops, or in-person classes focusing on specialized topics such as new treatments, patient safety, and ethics. They also have hands-on practice and exams to assess their understanding.
After completing the training, professionals receive a certificate that confirms they earned the credits. They submit this to the relevant licensing or certification board to renew or advance their career.
Other government agencies that provide CE programs include:
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC)
Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
2. Government Career Development Programs
Federal agencies offer programs that focus more on the professional growth of healthcare professionals. They are especially beneficial for those looking for higher, senior executive roles or those who want to learn how to get a federal job as a civilian.
These programs provide online courses, workshops, hands-on training, certification programs, and research opportunities. They are usually funded by the government and designed to help workers improve in providing public service.
For example, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has continuing education and professional development programs funded by grants.³
They have programs that teach healthcare workers how to care for patients from different cultures and languages. This is helpful for those who want to take on specialized roles in underserved communities. HHS also offers programs for people who want to specialize in children’s mental health or environmental health.
3. Professional Certifications
Professional certifications help you stand out in federal healthcare because they prove you have specialized skills and expertise. They typically involve hands-on training and practice with real-world tasks.
Plus, many federal jobs in government hospitals and programs require these certifications. For example, only certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA) can give anesthesia in federal healthcare facilities.
Here are examples of certifications that can give federal healthcare professionals an edge.
Certified Emergency Nurse. This certification verifies a nurse’s ability to provide urgent, life-saving care in emergency and critical care settings.
Certified Medical Assistant. CMAs handle clinical and administrative tasks often required in VA, DoD, and public health facilities.
Health Information Management certifications. These include Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA) and Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT), which are designed for managing patient data in federal healthcare systems.
Certified Dental Technician. This certification proves expertise in dental technology, including ceramics, digital workflows, implants, dentures, and orthodontics.
4. Post-Bachelor's Education
If you’re serious about advancing your career, consider earning a graduate certificate, master’s degree, or doctorate. Universities and educational institutions often offer these programs to develop specialized expertise and prepare college graduates for advanced roles in federal healthcare.
Graduate certificates are short, focused programs offered by universities that help professionals gain expertise in a specific area without committing to a full degree. They are ideal for those who want to enhance their skills quickly and may count toward a master’s degree later.
If you have more time and resources, earning a full graduate degree will make you incredibly competitive in the job market. A master's or doctorate provides deeper knowledge in a specific field, like public health, healthcare administration, or advanced clinical practice. For example, a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) or Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) allows nurses to take on leadership or advanced clinical roles, such as Nurse Managers or Nurse Practitioners.
5. Online Courses
Online courses are a great way to keep learning if you're busy and need flexibility. Many schools and websites offer courses you can take at your own pace to learn new skills and stay updated on healthcare topics without interrupting your work schedule.
Online courses typically include video lessons, readings, and quizzes. They offer flexibility, so you can learn whenever it fits your schedule. However, they usually don’t have hands-on activities like in-person classes.
Instead, many courses use case studies, simulations, or virtual labs to help you apply what you’ve learned. Online courses are a great way to build knowledge and skills without being physically present.
CEU programs and certifications also offer online courses. However, institutions like the American Nurses Association (ANA) and the American Medical Association (AMA) offer extra programs that help in career advancement but are not necessarily certifications or units.
Coursera also offers various online courses, focusing more on educational partnerships with universities and organizations. For example, since AI is a very new topic in many industries, Coursera and Stanford University provide a course called "AI in Healthcare Specialization."⁴
Keep learning and enhancing your career with Matrix Providers!
At Matrix Providers, we connect you with great jobs at federal institutions that support career development and continuing education. But we don’t stop there—we also help you grow.
We offer professional development resources to keep your licenses and certifications current, learn new skills, and stay ahead in your field. Whether you aim for your dream job or want to keep improving, we’ve got you covered.
Ready to take the next step? Contact us today, and let’s find the right opportunity for you!
References:
DeSilver, Drew. "What the Data Says About Federal Workers." Pew Research Center, 7 Jan. 2025, www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/01/07/what-the-data-says-about-federal-workers/.
Continuing Education Program Office. "About Us." The Defense Health Agency, www.dhaj7cepo.com/content/about-us.
Immediate Office of the Secretary. "Resources for Healthcare Workers." U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 10 Mar. 2025, www.hhs.gov/healthcare/workforce/resources-workers/index.html.
"AI in Healthcare Specialization." Coursera, www.coursera.org/specializations/ai-healthcare.