Take the first step toward your healthcare career today.

If you need help enrolling in a medical training program or paying for tuition, Youth Job Center can help!

We’ve partnered with TTI Medical Training School and Chicago Instruction Center to connect eligible young people with free access to training programs that launch medical careers. (Have a specific program in mind? Let us know, and we may be able to provide tuition assistance for the healthcare program of your choice.)

Any required testing, uniforms, or equipment will be provided at no cost, and all classes are free. Admission is rolling and is open to young people who are between 18 and 24 years old and not currently in school.

Once you complete our program, you’ll leave with a variety of healthcare certifications from the National Healthcare Association (NHA) and Illinois Department of Public Health and will have access to a paid work experience within the healthcare industry. Current employer partners include Swedish Hospital, Evanston Hospital, Skokie Hospital, and others.

Training includes:

Certification from the National Healthcare Association (NHA) and Illinois Department of Public Health in all of the following:
- Patient Care Technician (PCT)
- Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)
- EKG Technician
- Medical Assistant or Phlebotomy Technician
Paid internship within the healthcare industry
- Employers we partner with include Swedish Hospital, Evanston Hospital, Skokie Hospital, and more
Individualized training, career coaching, job placement support, and financial services through YJC
Optional tutoring sessions (if interested, please reach out to Sara)

Requirements for enrolling:

Be between 18-24 years old
Be out of school
Be legally eligible to work in the United States

“My favorite thing about my new job is that I’m comfortable with waking up and going to work every day. Most people don’t love what they do for work. I can honestly say I do!”
–Jasmine, phlebotomist and YJC healthcare program participant

MEET PAST Healthcare PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS

Kierra

Kierra is a young mother and healthcare professional who hasn't followed a typical linear path.

Aleecia

Aleecia was working at a warehouse when a close friend told her about Youth Job Center. “I wasn’t myself before I started YJC, because I was trying to find my career path or figure out what to do with my future,” she says. “But YJC helped me build a brighter future for myself.”

Fatima

Fatima's story is a remarkable one, in which she adjusts to life in a new country, balances family responsibilities with her own dreams and goals, and learns to advocate for herself the way she's always advocated for others.

Ifunanya

Ifunanya is a native of Lagos, Nigeria, who moved to the U.S. seven years ago in search of better education opportunities. Armed with a determined spirit and a passion for nursing, she joined YJC to get help with completing her nursing education and finding employment.

Jekireya

“I grew up on the west side of Chicago around poverty and violence. Early on I knew I wanted to be more than a statistic and follow my dreams of a career in the healthcare field.” That's Jekireya, who’s now an OB technician on her way to becoming a neonatal nurse. Jekireya's story is one of self-awareness, motivation, and joyful resourcefulness.