LCMC Health Donates $150K to YouthForce NOLA to Inspire and Prepare New Orleans Public School Students for High-paying Careers

NEW ORLEANS – LCMC Health has donated $150,000 to YouthForce NOLA, a nonprofit organization that facilitates a citywide collaborative to prepare New Orleans public school students for the successful pursuit of high-wage, high-demand career pathways and engages in policy and advocacy on behalf of young people.

“Partnering with YouthForce NOLA is part of LCMC Health’s ongoing commitment to our community,” said Ayame Dinkler, chief administrative officer of LCMC Health and board member of YouthForce NOLA. “LCMC Health is helping open more doors to economic prosperity in our community by expanding and diversifying our talent pipeline for the many high-demand jobs within our organization, from support staff and nurses to hospital leadership.”

YouthForce NOLA partners with employers, like LCMC Health, to expose students to the many career pathways in our region and take their first steps into the workforce. Among its programs, the nonprofit organization connects students with paid internships, technical training where they can earn industry-recognized credentials, and soft skills training to ensure they succeed academically, socially, and professionally. LCMC Health has partnered with YouthForce NOLA in each of these areas, participating in career exposure events, workplace learning, and mentorship.

“We are incredibly grateful to LCMC Health for this generous funding and also for their active involvement in our work to connect our awesome young people to economic opportunity,” said Cate Swinburn, co-founder and president of YouthForce NOLA. “Healthcare is a growing industry in our region and offers a variety of opportunities for young people to enter high-wage career pathways. That’s why health science is a core focus for the work-based learning and technical training we support, and LCMC Health is an invaluable partner in that.”

“LCMC Health’s commitment to promoting diversity within the workforce, engage employees, and provide opportunities for professional growth makes it a model place for young people to gain exposure to jobs that will put them on a path to economic prosperity,” added Swinburn.

As NOLA Public Schools’ official career technical education intermediary, YouthForce NOLA is partnered with 93 percent of the city’s high schools and engages more than 3,000 students each year. In 2022 across the YouthForce collaborative: 140 students completed paid YouthForce NOLA internships, 345 earned industry-recognized credentials, 7,949 participated in career exploration experiences, and 1,537 were directly impacted by soft skills training.
 

About YouthForce NOLA

YouthForce NOLA prepares New Orleans public school students for successful pursuit of high-wage, high-demand career pathways and facilitates systems change to accelerate and sustain progress.

More at youthforcenola.org.

About LCMC Health

Established in 2009, LCMC Health is a Louisiana-based, not-for-profit hospital system serving the healthcare needs of the Gulf Coast region. LCMC Health currently manages Children’s Hospital New Orleans, East Jefferson General Hospital, Lakeside Hospital, Lakeview Hospital , New Orleans East Hospital, Touro, Tulane Medical Center, University Medical Center New Orleans, and West Jefferson Medical Center.