Community Health Councils (CHC) convened its second iteration of the Health Advocates Youth Healthcare Workforce Pipeline project this summer. CHC partnered with LA’s Promise Fund, Manual Arts High School, and St. John’s Well Child and Family Center to provide complementary professional development workshops alongside an advocacy internship with St. John’s Well Child and Family. This year’s cohort of nine interns participated in the Rights to Health program at St. John’s, advocating for the sustainability of LA County’s My Health LA program. CHC’s workshops were designed to introduce the interns to the social determinants of health and health disparities, public health advocacy, and the variety of healthcare careers available.
Additionally, the workshops included professional development sessions and activities, such as improving public speaking skills, networking and elevator pitches, resume and cover letter review, and professional etiquette. Overall, youth displayed stronger self-efficacy in public speaking, researching career options, and marketing themselves for future employment.
This project is a continuation of CHC’s active work in addressing the healthcare workforce shortage and racial disparities in South Los Angeles, by strengthening the youth of color pipeline. The cohort contributed to informing CHC’s research and findings to ultimately inform policies and opportunities for systems change that can mitigate the workforce shortage in South Los Angeles.