DC Youth Apprenticeship Programs Can Heal the Health Care Industry Shortage

On October 2, 2025 Washington, DC’s Mayor Muriel Bowser, alongside Bloomberg Philanthropies, and numerous education and health care partners celebrated two exciting milestones that will strengthen the young adult workforce in DC: The Ward 8 Advanced Technical Center (ATC) and DC Health Care Employment & Apprenticeship Link (DC HEAL). These programs are funded by a $9.5 million investment from Bloomberg Philanthropies. Both programs will offer Career and Technical Education (CTE) students and graduates additional employment opportunities, including in high-demand health care careers.

The Ward 8 ATC, located at the Whitman-Walker Max Robinson Center, will help students earn industry credentials and college credits, access paid internships, and complete clinical experience in health care fields like nursing, certified medical assistant, and emergency medical technician. The Ward 8 ATC will build on the momentum of the city’s first ATC, which opened in August 2022 on the campus of Trinity Washington University in Ward 5. The program has seen a surge in enrollment, from 96 students within eight schools during the 2022–23 school year, to now 311 students from 25 schools in the 2025–26 school year. Students in these ATC programs will take dual credit college courses from Trinity Washington University and University of the District of Columbia. Both of the ATCs are open to all DC Public Schools and public charter high school students.

The DC HEAL program, launched in August, offers CTE public charter and public school graduates who are interested in health care to pursue careers through “direct-to-work” opportunities, which are pathways to roles such as certified nursing assistant (CNA) and patient care technician (PCT). Led by the DC Hospital Association and CityWorks DC, and in partnership with Whitman-Walker, Cedar Hill Regional Medical Center GW Health, Children’s National Hospital, Forest Hills DC, and Stoddard Baptist Nursing Home, students will have access to a variety of health care employers and placements. Kayla Young, a recent graduate of Friendship Technology Preparatory Academy and student at Trinity Washington University says, “As a nursing student at Trinity Washington University and someone who grew up in DC, I think the new DC Health Care Employment & Apprenticeship Link program is a great opportunity for local students. It gives us real experience in health care while earning money and working with hospitals in our city. I like that it supports DC residents and helps more people get started in this field. For me, it feels like a good step toward reaching my goal of becoming a nurse and giving back to my community.”

DC HEAL and the Advanced Technical Center, the city’s second, also serve as model examples of the District’s Compact 2043, which is a long-term effort to effectively help students step into meaningful apprenticeship, internship, and CTE training. These programs offer students and young adults in DC a leg up for their futures and is a tremendous addition to the existing employment programs DC offers, like the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP), School Year Internship Program, existing internships, and apprenticeships. Having more programs to choose from based on specific interests helps students feel that their needs and wants are heard and applied.

As a recent graduate of Friendship Technology Preparatory Academy and current youth apprentice with the DC-based organization New America, I’m amazed at the progress and commitment DC has made for students and recent graduates to attain hands-on experiences, skills, connections, and earn while we learn. Apprenticeship programs are vital to engaging students in long-term jobs in a range of industries and pathways. DC’s high school students and graduates are the future of our workforce, and this head start allows students to boost their own for economic growth.

As a nursing student attending Hampton University shared about the impact the DC Heal Program will have on students, “Giving students an opportunity to learn about the benefits of health care and to start their plan for their careers early prepares them for the competitiveness and business of our world today. It allows them to stay ahead and stay focused on the end goal, and to hopefully one day make a positive change in our world.”