$9.5M gift will help more D.C. high-schoolers train for health-care jobs

The new site will help students earn credentials as certified nursing assistants or patient care technicians. It will be located near a new hospital set to open next year.

“As we continue the work of reimagining high school and ensuring every student graduates prepared for their next step, we know that we have a model of excellence with our Advanced Technical Center,” D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) said in a statement. She called Mike Bloomberg — the founder of Bloomberg Philanthropies and former New York mayor she endorsed in his 2020 bid for president — “a champion of education,” adding that the donation will “put more students on pathways to high-wage, high-demand jobs.”

Currently, about 200 students commute from their high schools daily to take classes at the ATC. Teens in the program have said they value the opportunity to pursue their interests and like the school’s tightknit community.

It has also paid off in other ways. Students in the program tend to have better attendance than their peers, according to an analysis from D.C.’s education superintendent. They also leave with industry credentials and college credits aligned with the cybersecurity program at the University of the District of Columbia or the nursing track at Trinity Washington University.

Interest in the two-year program more than doubled between its first two years, officials said. Earlier this year, D.C. announced a $4.1 million grant from the Biden-Harris administration to expand the number of seats to 300.

The new location, slated to open at the Whitman-Walker Max Robinson Center during the 2025-2026 school year, is expected to serve about 50 students its first year.

The city will match the Bloomberg Philanthropies gift with local funding, according to the budget proposal the D.C. Council is scheduled to approve on Wednesday. It comes as students and parents call on school leaders for more vocational programs, which have seen a resurgence in D.C. and in schools across the country in recent years.

“This partnership helps seed and sustain our communities by creating a permanent pipeline of good jobs with good benefits starting in high school,” said Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers. “That’s what school is about — helping students thrive and pursue their dreams, including living, working and raising a family.”

The prospect of a career — and college credits — is what drew Imani Watson, 17, to the ATC this year. She takes a van from her high school at Friendship Collegiate Academy to attend nursing classes.

“It’s not hard if you put your mind to it,” she said. The classes are small and students are treated like young professionals, something that Watson appreciates as she prepares for an internship this summer at Sibley Memorial Hospital — another perk of the program. “It’s a great opportunity.”

Health training programs have been a focus for Bloomberg Philanthropies, which launched a $250 million effort in January to create new high schools that will send graduates directly into health-care jobs in cities including Boston, Dallas and Durham, N.C.

“We know that more than half the country doesn’t have four-year [bachelor’s degrees] and students are not left with a lot of options if they chose not to go to a four-year college,” said Jenny Sharfstein Kane, who leads Bloomberg’s career and technical education portfolio. “I think we are seeing that around the country because students more and more want to have a pathway to a career and might want to go directly into the workforce and earn.”

The new ATC location will expose students to the city’s first new inpatient facility in more than 20 years. Officials hope Cedar Hill Regional Medical Center, which is expected to open in early 2025, will usher in a renaissance east of the Anacostia River, by connecting underserved residents to emergency, primary and specialty care close to home.

The expansion of D.C.’s technical center also includes a bridge program designed by the D.C. Hospital Association, a member organization representing the District’s 13 hospitals, which will connect the graduates with a hospital, community health clinic or other care provider for an interview and first step in their career.

The newly minted health-care workers will gain real-world experience before or while they pursue a degree or higher credential — a potential boon for a city that will need an additional 570 nurses and 700 people to fill new licensed practical nursing, medical assistant and nursing assistant roles by 2030, according to employment data.

“This program is designed to take them on the first step in the journey in their health career and take them to the next level,” said Justin J. Palmer, the DCHA vice president of government relations and advocacy.

But there are still hurdles to overcome if the health-care industry wants to hold on to workers — the shortage in D.C. is all about wages and competition, said Joshua Harrold, associate director of training and employment funds for the 1199 Service Employees International Union.

“You can make as much money working in the District at Amazon or Walmart as you can a nursing assistant and have a lot less stress,” he said. “It takes a special person to be able to do this. … It’s not a glamorous job, but it’s a very meaningful job.”

Students who are interested in enrolling at the ATC should fill out an interest form and talk to their school counselor, according to its website.