Seventeen students have completed pre-apprenticeships at Hugh Chatham Health and are now moving forward with apprenticeships or part-time roles to continue their education in healthcare through the Surry-Yadkin Works program. Thirteen of these individuals, comprising 11 high school students and two adult learners from Surry Community College, will work full-time or part-time at Hugh Chatham Health while pursuing their studies. Four others will work part-time as they attend a four-year university or two-year college.
Ashley Arellano, Haydne Bryant, Abigail Burton, Alyssa Davis, Jocelyn Espino-Solorzano, Destiny Gurley, Stephanie Hall, Wendy Hernandez, Wyatt Johnson, Angela Luffman, Kristen Sparks, Jenna Tolbert, and Milena Waddell are among those accepting apprenticeships at Hugh Chatham Health. Zeuz Santiago and Dorothy “Emma” Woods have completed their apprenticeships and will continue as full-time employees.
Paul Hammes, CEO of Hugh Chatham Health stated: “There are few greater investments we can make than in our students and aspiring healthcare professionals. They are the future of our workforce, our economy, and a stronger community overall. We are extremely proud to partner with Surry-Yadkin Works – a national model that will make a difference for generations to come.”
Four other pre-apprentices signed on as PRN at the event to work on a part-time basis: Katie Cothren, Arismel Medores, Julie Torres-Salazar and Presley Swaim.
Crystal Folger-Hawks from Surry-Yadkin Works commented: “We are incredibly proud of our students who have completed their pre-apprenticeship experience at Hugh Chatham Health, and even more excited for those who are now committing to continue as apprentices. This partnership reflects our shared commitment… Together we’re building a strong foundation for both workforce readiness and community healthcare.”
This opportunity is part of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Apprenticeship program along with North Carolina’s ApprenticeshipNC program through the N.C. Community College System Office. It combines paid work-based learning with classroom academics leading to national certification. Students involved will receive free tuition for an Associate Degree in Nursing program at a North Carolina community college to become registered nurses.
For more information about apprenticeships at Hugh Chatham Health contact their Human Resources department or visit their website.
Surry-Yadkin Works began on January 1st 2021 covering two counties in North Carolina as a collaborative effort by local public schools and Surry Community College to create an innovative internship program supported by county commissioners.
Hugh Chatham Health is an independent not-for-profit network headquartered in Elkin providing healthcare across six counties employing over 900 team members recognized nationally for patient satisfaction safety and quality.
