A partnership between the Cobb County School District and Wellstar Health System aims to equip a generation of students with the skills needed to join the workforce right out of high school.
The state’s second-largest district recently announced a 25-year, $2 million partnership with one of the state’s largest health care systems.
Cobb already offers a health care pathway at Cobb Innovation and Technology Academy, the district’s school for career technical education. Under the new partnership, it will be named the Wellstar Healthcare Pathway Program.
“More than naming, it is — for us — an opportunity to get our students straight into the workforce,” said Cobb’s Chief Strategy and Accountability Officer John Floresta. “And I think for Wellstar, it’s a chance to get qualified workers straight out of high school and straight into high-need positions.”
The school has offered a health care pathway for three years, but this partnership will give students direct access to doctors, nurses and other professionals at Wellstar, as well as the equipment and technology the health care system has. And students who graduate from the program will be eligible for jobs in high-need areas, as determined by Wellstar, as soon as they graduate.
The partnership also establishes two $2,500 scholarships, given each year, for students who graduate from Cobb Innovation and Technology Academy to pursue further education for a career in health.
“This program seeks to inspire, educate and nurture the next generation of health care professionals,” said David Jones, executive vice president and chief human resources officer for Wellstar, in a news release. “We’re thrilled with the opportunity to help enhance the education of our community’s students and offer them rewarding career pathways.”
