Professionals say more health care workers are needed in southeastern Minnesota.

To address the need, an area employment and education information session will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Riverland Community College.

The event is advertised as providing community members from high school through retirement age “an exciting, hands-on opportunity” to learn more about careers as a licensed practical nurse, patient care assistant and certified nursing assistant, according to a news release.

The role of those professions will be explored, and information on training and educational options will be presented.

Attendees will also learn about scholarships and financial aid to assist people in pursuing the professions.

“I want people to know they can do things today to give them a good wage in high school,” organizer Sue Callahan said. “It’s also a stepping stone into the educational process for other jobs that are right here in our community.”

The Department of Employment and Economic Development projects Minnesota will add 9,477 registered nurse jobs in the next 10 years. The department projects 10,850 more are expected to leave the profession, meaning Minnesota will need 20,330 new registered nurses through 2025.

Organizer Valerie Kvale described the need for health care workers in Minnesota as a long-term issue.

“I want them to find out they want to learn more about the health care field,” Kvale said.

Albert Lea-Freeborn County Chamber of Commerce Director Randy Kehr said the need for nurses is desperate, and the hiring outlook for the health care field is excellent.

“One of the critical areas of need that we hear from our health care providers, whether from long-term care facilities or Mayo Clinic Health System here, is a severe need for health care professionals in different areas of the field,” Kehr said. “This would maybe expand their horizons a little bit. Someone who wasn’t considering the health care field may find interest in it and realize what great working potential it has.”

Similar events will take place from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Oct.26 at the Owatonna campus and Oct. 29 at the Austin campus.

In a Sept. 1 report, Wanted Analytics indicated there were 603 positions within Freeborn, Mower and Steele counties in a general search of health care professions.