Supporting Career and Technical Education
The American job market is changing. A high school diploma is no longer a ticket to a good job now, an increasing number of employers are offering “middle-skill jobs” that require more than a high school diploma but less than a bachelor’s degree. Industries like health care, IT, advanced manufacturing, and financial services continue to see sustained growth at all levels, and they need workers with the experience and the credentials to fill new positions. Bloomberg Philanthropies is investing in programs that help young people get the specialized training they need through internships, apprenticeships, academics, and work-based learning.
Apprenticeship Programs
Since 2016, Bloomberg Philanthropies has piloted innovative apprenticeship programs around the country to help students obtain recognized and relevant experience and credentials. With the support of local leaders across sectors and industries, more and better opportunities are being made available. In Denver and New Orleans, hundreds of students have completed locally organized internships or apprenticeships in insurance and other fields. Programs in Baltimore and Delaware are training high school students in in-demand skills such as computer coding. We also invest in programs across the country that have become national models, including CareerWise Colorado, an innovative apprenticeship program that has now been replicated in Washington, D.C., New York City, and Indiana with our support. Together, these efforts are helping to build an evidence base of effective programs that can be shared and replicated more broadly across the country.
Healthcare-Focused High Schools
In 2024, Bloomberg Philanthropies announced the creation of high schools around the nation that will directly graduate students into high-demand healthcare jobs with family-sustaining wages. This first-of-its kind initiative pairs public education systems and hospitals to create innovative high schools that will serve nearly 6,000 students at full capacity in 10 communities including the urban locations Boston, MA; Charlotte, NC; Dallas, TX; Durham, NC; Houston, TX; Nashville, TN; New York, NY; and Philadelphia, PA; and the rural areas Demopolis, AL and Northeast, TN (six locations).
Each school, whether newly established through this initiative or a revamp of an existing school, will offer students robust academic programming, specialized healthcare classes, work-based learning at the partner health system, and the opportunity to earn industry-valued credentials and certifications. Northeast Tennessee will launch a hybrid virtual and in-person pilot across six school sites in rural communities.
Immediately upon graduation, students can enter healthcare jobs within the partner healthcare system or choose to advance their healthcare career through post-secondary education. As part of this initiative, all health system partners have committed to providing job opportunities for students who successfully complete the graduation requirements of their respective program.
Top photo: A student in Denver, CO’s CareerWise program, a partner with Bloomberg’s Career and Technical Education initiative.