The National Council of La Raza (NCLR)—the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States—will host a recognition ceremony and celebration for the graduates of the Carreras en Salud program, a health care career pathways initiative. Over 100 students will be honored at the event, which will take place on September 19, 2008 at Humboldt Park Vocational Educational Center of Wilbur Wright College, 1645 N. California Avenue, Chicago, IL, beginning at 3:00 p.m.

As the flagship site of NCLR’s Health Care Career Pathways Initiative, Carreras en Salud was developed and implemented by NCLR in partnership with its Chicago Affiliates, Instituto del Progreso Latino and Association House of Chicago, as well as Humboldt Park Vocational Education Center of Wilbur Wright College, one of the City Colleges of Chicago. The program trains Latinos to become certified nursing assistants, licensed practical nurses (LPNs), and registered nurses in an effort to remedy the shortage of bilingual health care professionals in the Chicago area.

To date, the program has achieved a 95% retention rate and has graduated 98% of its participants. Former participants who have graduated as certified nursing assistants have been placed at an average wage of $10 per hour and those graduating as LPNs have been placed at an average wage of $25 per hour, which represents an average 150% wage increase from previous employment.

The Carreras en Salud program received the U.S. Department of Labor’s Recognition of Excellence Award last month for “tapping talents of special populations in the workforce” at the 2008 Workforce Innovations Conference. The award honors programs, projects, or initiatives that provide effective career-enhancement services to populations facing barriers to employment.

MEDIA ADVISORY

###