Engaging Youth

To create a sustainable work force for health care, youth must be engaged and attracted to careers in health care. Many young people are not aware of the opportunities for a high-paying, challenging, and rewarding career that health care offers.

The Health Career Academy program puts bright, young people who may be struggling in high school on the path to a career in health care. Through this innovative program, students from diverse backgrounds are exposed to the health care field, taught how to be a successful student, complete training to become certified nursing assistants, and earn both college and high school credits.  A program case worker guides students through every step of the process from securing running start dollars to finding employment. This truly is a bridge to a brighter future.

Results

Currently, there are three pilot sites in Seattle, Yakima, and Spokane. Of the 40 students who participated in Seattle's program 36 completed certified nurse assistant training:

• 23 earned national certified nursing assistant licensure
• 30 successfully earned college credits.

Yakima and Spokane began working with their first full cohort in fall 2008. In Spokane, the 15 students enrolled will earn 13 college credits each by the time they complete the program.  Of the 16 students participating in Yakima's program:

• 15 will be the first in their families to attend college
• 12 are the children of farm workers.

The students are taking full advantage of this opportunity to gain skills and prepare themselves for college. The program was designed by the Institute and is administered through regional Workforce Development Councils.
 

"This program has helped me realize that I can go into the medical field. It is not a dream anymore, but a possibility"

- Eva Lamas, Yakima Health Career Academy student