Washington, DC—The Carreras en Salud program of the National Council of La Raza (NCLR)—the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States—received the U.S. Department of Labor’s Recognition of Excellence Award last week 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.

As the flagship site of its 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.

“Latinos are far underrepresented in the health care workforce, which undercuts the quality of care they receive,” said NCLR President and CEO Janet Murguía. “Programs like Carreras en Salud provide Latinos with not only upward economic mobility through advanced education and training, but also access to a culturally and linguistically competent health care workforce.”

Since its inception, Carreras en Salud has graduated 100 LPNs, all of whom have been placed in jobs. “Carreras en Salud has successfully created flexible career pathways for Hispanics to alleviate shortages of bilingual health care workers,” said Brent R. Orrell, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment and Training. “This program provides multiple entry and exit points and offers resources such as on-site child care to those seeking to advance their careers in the health professions. Programs like these are critical to meeting high-growth industry needs now and in the future.”

As a result of the initiative, employers such as Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Lakeview Nursing and Rehabilitation Centre, and Woodbridge Nursing Pavilion have been able to hire more local Chicago residents. Visit www.nclr.org for more information on Carreras en Salud.

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