Mayor Bowser and Bloomberg Philanthropies Celebrate New Ward 8 Advanced Technical Center and Launch New Health Care Apprenticeship Program, DC HEAL

(Washington, DC) - Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser was joined by Bloomberg Philanthropies and education and health care partners to celebrate the new Ward 8 Advanced Technical Center (ATC) and launch the new District-wide DC Health Care Employment & Apprenticeship Link (DC HEAL) program, which helps Career Technical Education (CTE) and other high school graduates gain hands-on apprenticeships in high-growth health care careers. Both the new ATC and the DC HEAL program are supported by a $9.5 million contribution from Bloomberg Philanthropies.

"For years, we have been focused on making sure every young person in DC has access to high-quality opportunities that prepare them for success after high school - and the ATC embodies that work," said Mayor Bowser. "With the new Ward 8 ATC and the new DC HEAL apprenticeship program, we are creating new pipelines for students to go from high school to in-demand health care careers right here in DC."

The Ward 8 ATC, located at the Whitman-Walker Max Robinson Center, opened this school year, expanding the District's Career and Technical Education by offering more high school students from across the city the chance to earn industry credentials and college credits, complete paid internships, and gain clinical experience in fields like nursing, medical assisting, and emergency medical first response. Like the District's first ATC in Ward 5, the Ward 8 ATC is administered by the Office of the State Superintendent of Education and is open to all DC Public Schools and public charter high school students. ATC students take dual-credit college courses from higher education partners Trinity Washington University and the University of the District of Columbia and engage in paid internships with employer partners in the high-demand fields of health care and cybersecurity.

The new DC HEAL apprenticeship offers CTE high school graduates interested in health care careers direct-to-work opportunities, creating pathways into high-demand roles such as certified nursing assistant and patient care technician. DC HEAL launched in August with five health care employers, including hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, and community health centers across the District. Through DC HEAL, recent graduates are hired for one-year, full-time apprenticeships, gaining hands-on learning, mentorship from practicing professionals, and a living wage.

"We are proud to support the launch of this new technical training center, which will give DC high school students the skills and experiences they need to step into meaningful healthcare careers," said Howard Wolfson, Education Program Lead at Bloomberg Philanthropies. "This effort builds on our broader commitment to expanding pathways into healthcare - including our $250 million initiative to create new high schools across the country that connect students directly to high-demand jobs. Together, these investments reflect our belief that young people should have multiple, high-quality opportunities to prepare for family-sustaining careers in a field that is essential to our nation's well-being."

The District's first ATC launched as a pilot on the Trinity Washington University campus in August 2022, before moving to its permanent home at the Penn Center in Ward 5 the following school year. The program has seen growing demand since then, with enrollment surging from 96 students from eight schools in the 2022-23 school year to 311 students from 25 schools in the 2025-26 school year. The Ward 5 ATC has now graduated two cohorts of students, and over the first three years of ATC programming, 400 students have earned an impressive 4,658 college credits, saving them approximately $3 million in college tuition.

The new Ward 8 ATC expands opportunities for students in healthcare occupations, including certified medical assistant and emergency medical technician, both of which align to nursing degrees. The inaugural class started in August with 59 students enrolled from 15 participating schools.

DC HEAL is led by the DC Hospital Association and CityWorks DC, in partnership with Whitman-Walker, Cedar Hill Regional Medical Center GW Health, Children's National Hospital, Forest Hills DC, and Stoddard Baptist Nursing Home.

"DC HEAL is a long-term investment in DC's future workforce and represents a true citywide collaboration between skilled nursing facilities, hospitals, clinics, education partners, and community organizations," said Jaqueline D. Bowens, President and CEO of the DC Hospital Association. "We are proud to partner with businesses, education providers and community leaders to create an education and workforce solution that provides DC residents with pathways to upward mobility, and career opportunities in our health care system."

"At Whitman-Walker Health, we envision DC HEAL as much more than simply building out a pipeline of future healthcare employees," said Naseema Shafi, CEO of Whitman-Walker Health. "In fact, we are equally excited to play a part in the education and career advancement of these talented young people, which ultimately plays an important role in advancing the long-term health of the community, especially here in Ward 8."

CityWorks DC, which builds innovative programs and mobilizes states and industry sectors in the region to create strong, local talent pipelines, is providing direct support to youth, schools, and employers as they collaborate to launch DC HEAL.

DC HEAL and the Advanced Technical Centers expand access to high-quality, hands-on healthcare training and leverage deep partnerships with employers and higher education institutions. They also serve as model examples and core components of the District's Compact 2043 -a unifying strategy to equip every DC student with the skills and credentials needed for higher education and successful, high-growth careers.

Washington, DC offers CTE programs at 32 public high schools, up from ten schools in 2015. Programs available to students across DC include engineering, biotechnology, cybersecurity, nursing, EMT, teacher education and training, auto tech, and much more. And District high school students are taking advantage-CTE enrollment has increased by 90% since 2019.

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