As healthcare providers statewide search for qualified workers, one innovative apprenticeship program is helping students fill the pipeline. For Chloe Rowland, the opportunity provided a paycheck and a direct path from the classroom to a career.
Rowland, 18, of Piedmont, spent her final year balancing classes, hands-on training and a paid healthcare apprenticeship through a partnership between Canadian Valley Technology Center and SSM Health St. Anthony Hospital.
The experience gave her a firsthand look at patient care while helping her build skills and confidence before graduation.
Rowland enrolled in CV Tech’s Health Careers program with dreams of one day becoming a nurse. She jumped at the opportunity to gain real-world experience while still in high school.
High school juniors who are nearing completion of the school’s long-term care aide curriculum may apply for the Advanced Unlicensed Assistant (AUA) apprenticeship program.
Students selected for the program begin working part-time during their senior year, providing direct patient care alongside experienced healthcare professionals. The apprenticeship strengthens workforce readiness while creating a direct pathway to employment, said CV Tech Health Careers instructor Angela McDoulett.
The program also helps address Oklahoma’s ongoing need for qualified healthcare workers, she said. Twenty-one CV Tech students have already been accepted to SSM Healthcare apprenticeships for the fall.
Rowland believes the apprenticeship experience sets her apart.
“I loved the idea of getting a kickstart on a career before college, and I knew I wanted to go into healthcare,” she said. “I am able to apply what I’ve learned to my unit, I have learned so much from the nurses. Specifically, I learned how to take action and always be ready to take on tasks.”
The apprenticeship starts at $12 per hour, but for Rowland, the experience proved far more valuable than a paycheck. After completing both the apprenticeship and CV Tech’s Health Careers program, she was hired full-time by SSM Health’s Heart and Vascular Care Center in Oklahoma City. Rowland sees her current role as only the beginning.
“My plans are to attend nursing school and get my RN (registered nurse) and work in the oncology department,” Rowland said. “I would like to eventually go back to school to get my CRNA (Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist) as well.”
Rowland credits the apprenticeship with helping her better understand the profession she hopes to pursue. Her parents also saw the value of combining classroom instruction with workplace experience.
“She received real-world experience and got a great look at what her future career will look like,” said Rowland’s father, Toby, who serves as the “Voice of the Sooners” for University of Oklahoma athletics and is Sports Director at KWTV News 9. “It was the best part of her high school education. We give it the highest recommendation.”
Apprenticeships have traditionally been associated with skilled trades, but today they are increasingly available in healthcare, information technology and other high-demand industries. For many students, the model provides a faster, more affordable route to employment without delaying career advancement or accumulating significant educational debt.
