Claire Twomey, a senior at Kimberly High School, balances her school work with her Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Youth Apprenticeship at Ascension St. Elizabeth Hospital. Through her apprenticeship, Claire is getting hands-on experience in a real-life health care setting along with classroom instruction to prepare for her future.
The opportunity to work at the hospital came through Andrea Buss, health sciences teacher and HOSA-Future Health Professionals advisor at KHS. “Mrs. Buss knew I was taking my CNA course, and through the clinicals it persuaded me to work in a hospital because I liked the fast-paced type of job,” said Claire. “With the patient outturn (discharges), I get to meet more people and see different cases. That’s interesting to me.”
Pursuing a Youth Apprenticeship is one way students can maximize their Academic and Career Planning activities while in high school. Students receive both high school credit for their apprenticeship as well as wages from their employer. In addition to valuable career and industry experiences, Youth Apprenticeship students learn employability skills that will benefit them in any career they choose. Read more about Claire’s experience.
