1. January Newsletter
One of the biggest challenges faced by many of you has been the level of work
readiness of incoming student interns. Our January newsletter focuses in on this issue
and highlights two initiatives that are helping students excel in their internships and
prepare them for the complexities of the working world. Read on to find out more about
how Presence St. Mary and Elizabeth Medical Center is augmenting their student
internships in order to meet the special needs of their student population, and what
you need to do if you want to replicate their program (hint: it’s easier than you might
think). Also, read on to learn more about how your concerns spurred the creation of a
new work readiness initiative at CPS/CTE, spearheaded by our own Delisa Johnson.
REMINDERS & ACTION ITEMS
It's That Time of Year Again!
Be sure to mark your calendars and check your email!!
 The internship sign-up link will be sent out the week of Feb. 1st.
 Candidate interviews will begin the week of Feb 15th.
 Begin the internship process (medical screenings, applications,
etc). the week of Feb 15th.
 The internship start date is June 27th.
PARTNER UPDATES
Work Readiness and the Student Internship Experience
Presence St. Mary and Elizabeth: A Special Program Profile
As a long-time partner of the Chicago Youth Workforce Hospital High School

2. Initiative (CYWHHSI), Presence St. Mary and Elizabeth Medical Center provides
CPS/CTE students from North Grand with multiple opportunities to explore
healthcare related careers before graduation. By the time students are ready for their
senior internship/externship experience with Presence St. Mary and Elizabeth, most
have a base level of familiarity with the facility and multiple departments and
professionals, because they will have already attended a site visit and participated in
a job shadow day experience.
However, even though many students have been exposed to the complex working
environment of the hospital prior to beginning their internship/externship at Presence
St. Mary and Elizabeth, most have never had the opportunity to speak or work with
professionals in a healthcare setting for any length of time. “When they come to us,
many of them do not know how to maintain eye contact during a conversation, they
are timid and they are shy,” said Melissa Vazquez, BSN, RN and Community
Engagement Specialist for Presence St. Mary and Elizabeth Medical Center. In
order to address these issues with students and help them to have a successful
internship/externship, Presence St. Mary and Elizabeth Medical Center developed a
unique etiquette program that augments their 8-12 week experience at their facility.
While the etiquette program is centered on providing students with the opportunity to
gain knowledge about professional communication and conflict resolution, one of its
ultimate objectives is to build up the students’ self-esteem and give them the
confidence they need to engage in conversations with their peers, other adults and
professionals. “Many of our students’ will not have the opportunity to have an
experience like this in any other setting,” said Gladys Aguirre RN, BSN, and Manager
of the Health Education Department, at Presence St. Mary and Elizabeth Medical
Center. According to the Illinois Report Card, over 98% of the students at North
Grand are considered low income, and almost a quarter do not have the English
skills necessary to successfully participate in class activities. Many of the student
interns at Presence St. Mary are also required to be caregivers themselves to
parents, siblings and grandparents, making internship completion even more difficult
and the development of time management and communication skills such as those
covered by the etiquette program even more important.
Understanding the time constraints and busy schedules of their students the
etiquette program at Presence St. Mary and Elizabeth Medical Center has been
integrated into the student internship/externship experience.
So, what information do you need in order to replicate this program?
Q: Who runs the program at Presence St. Mary and Elizabeth Medical Center?
Do I need to have an internal staff member dedicated to it?
A: No, you do not need your own dedicated staff member. Presence St. Mary and
Elizabeth use Emily Ferguson. She is well known in the Chicago area for providing

3. quality student programming and is rated as having one of the Top 23 LinkedIn
Etiquette and Protocol Consultant Profiles. Emily takes care of all the program
details!
Q: Is she looking to expand into other hospitals and schools? If so, how can I
contact her?
A: Yes! Emily is looking to expand. Just mention you heard about the program she
runs at Presence St. Mary and Elizabeth, and send her an email
atetiqem@gmail.com .
Q: What is the cost?
A: The cost is determined by each client’s needs, but Presence St. Mary and
Elizabeth Medical Center describes it as only moderate compared to the value it
provides to students.
Q: How many students can participate?
A: 10 is ok, 20 is ideal but no more than 30 at a time.
Q: How many hours do students spend in the program?
A: At Presence St. Mary and Elizabeth Medical Center, students attend three
sessions that are 2-3 hours each, but programs are likely customizable to the needs
of your students.
Q: How do you know what students have gotten out of the program, and how
you do recognize their accomplishments?
A: At the end of their experience in the etiquette sessions, Emily works with students
and staff to schedule a banquet so that they are able to put into practice what they
have learned, and so that their hard work can be recognized.
Addressing Partner Concerns: A New Work Readiness Initiative Comes to
CPS
Delisa Johnson, CTE Partnership Development Liaison, launches work readiness Initiative in partnership with
Junior Achievement of Chicago
Over the last few years, some of you have voiced concerns over the ability of your student
interns to assimilate into the working world. In many instances, you have reported that students
struggle with professional communication, conflict resolution and time management, all skills
critical to professional success. “We have lost partners due to students not calling or showing

4. up to their internship,” reports Delisa Johnson, a veteran Partnership Development Liaison
(PDL) for Chicago Public Schools. In direct response to CYWHHI partner concerns, Delisa, in
her role as PDL, has spearheaded a new partnership with Junior Achievement of Chicago to
launch a comprehensive work readiness initiative for CPS students participating in Career and
Technical Education programs. “We want to get ahead of this issue early, in as strategic of a
way as possible,” said Delisa Johnson.
Junior Achievement of Chicago, is a local area nonprofit focused on helping young people
become financially literate, preparing them for the workplace and inspiring innovation and
entrepreneurship, so that they can plan for their future and be successful. In partnership with
CTE, Junior Achievement of Chicago will provide eight in-school sessions for CPS/CTE
students centered around topics such as communication and conflict resolution, integrity,
communication and networking, and the art of resume building and interviewing. While some of
the current CTE curriculum touches on work readiness, the new program will be led by an
industry expert and will take a more impactful and concentrated approach. During each session
students will participate in interactive activities, team building exercises and role playing. In
order to provide all students with a tailored experience, each session will be limited to 25
participants.
The new work readiness initiative is set to launch on February 15th 2016 in five high-need high
schools including: Simeon, CVCA, Dunbar, Julian and Prosser. Upon evaluation of the pilot,
Delisa and Junior Achievement of Chicago hope to expand the program to all CTE schools the
following year.
Delisa Johnson has been working in the field of education for over 15 years. As a former Elementary and High
School teacher, she brings first hand knowledge about the needs of students, teachers and schools to her
current position as Partnership Development Liaison with Career and Technical Education at CPS. She is well
known in the field for her innovative and dedicated approach to helping students be successful both in and out
of school. Questions related to the new partnership can be directed to dtjohnson@cps.edu
Do you have a program that you would like highlighted in the next newsletter? If so,
email Julie Langer (jlanger@workforceboard.org) to scheudle a phone interview.
SECTOR UPDATES AND RESEARCH
Jobs in Healthcare: A National Look
According the Bureau of Labor Statistics the healthcare sector added 474,
700 jobs in 2015, which is more than both 2013 and 2014 combined. In
December alone 39,000 jobs were filled in the healthcare sector. For their
part, hospitals added 12,000 jobs, which accounted for 36% of all jobs
added in healthcare during the month of December. During that same
period, employment in ambulatory healthcare was nearly double that of
hospitals (approx. 23,000).
For additional information about the national employment landscape for the
healthcare sector, and a look at how it compares to others CLICK HERE.

5. Jobs in Healthcare: A Local Look
From October 1, 2015 – December 31st 2015 there were 15,847 job
postings for healthcare related occupations in Chicago and Cook County.
The top five employers with the most job openings included (1) Presence
Health, 777 (2) Rush University Medical Center, 240 (3) Rehabilitation
Institute of Chicago, 229 (4) Fresenius, 186 and (5) HCR ManorCare, 181.
The top ten occupations with the most openings included: (1) Registered
Nurses, 3531 (2) Nursing Assistant, 786 (3) Medical records and Health
Information Technicians, 582 (4) Speech Language Pathologists, 562 (5)
Physicians and surgeons all other, 429 (6) Occupational Therapists, 429
(7) Physical Therapists, 346 (8) Nurse Practitioners, 346 (9) Licenses
Practical Nurse and Licenses Vocational Nurse, 320 and (10) Pharmacy
Technicians, 308.
For a look at the top occupations in healthcare for each quarter in 2015 and to
see how job openings in healthcare compare to other local industries CLICK
HERE to access quarterly “Where are the Jobs Reports”, published by the
Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership.
Copyright © 2016 Chicago Cook Workforce Parternership, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you are a part of the MRHT Youth Workforce Hospital/High Schools
Initiative.
Our mailing address is:
Chicago Cook Workforce Parternership
69 W Washington, Suite 2860
Chicago, IL 60602