Health Careers for Youth
Since 1997, the Health Careers for Youth Program has provided young adults with the opportunity to find meaningful work and to explore careers in the health care industry through paid internships at nearby participating institutions. These health care facilities currently include Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Joslin Diabetes Center, New England Baptist Hospital, Dana Farber Cancer Research Institute, Children’s Hospital, and Whittier Street Health Center.
The experiential model used in the Health Careers for Youth Program (HCFY) provides a venue where youth can acquire job readiness skills, educational support, and career exploration for the health care sector. Internship placements ensure Youth Leaders are given the opportunity to develop the problem-solving, critical thinking and interpersonal skills necessary for successful employment in the health care sectors. Year-round case management and tailored academic support for all Youth Leaders employed in HCFY creates a supportive environment where youth can explore employment opportunities.
Youth Leaders employed in HCFY receive training throughout their internship experience that is divided into three components: Making the First Impression, Succeeding at Your Internship, and Success Beyond the Internship. After completing the first phase of job-readiness training within the first two months of the program, Youth Leaders begin their internships at health care facilities in the Longwood Medical Area.
Alongside their internship opportunities, HCFY Youth Leaders explore different careers within the health care sector. Through their internship placements, HCFY Youth Leaders are provided with job-shadowing opportunities within their health care facility once a month throughout different departments. Further, HCFY Youth Leaders, in partnership with local educational institutions, receive seminars on the health sciences, exposure to different careers within the medical field, networking opportunities with students and alums pursuing these careers, and career panels hosted by health care professionals.
HCFY Youth Leaders are also provided with educational support through classes and individualized support in a case management approach. HCFY Youth Leaders receive educational support through literacy and numeracy classes, and workshops focused strongly on the sciences in collaboration with Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. Additionally, Youth Leaders receive support from Sociedad Latina staff, and for one year after the completion of the program, through the process of returning to high school, entering post-secondary education or starting new employment.