CareerWise Launches FutureReadyNYC Healthcare Pathway Accelerator to Grow Opportunities for Young People in Healthcare
With support from the Dimon Foundation and Bloomberg Philanthropies, healthcare employers will build a new talent pipeline in partnership with CareerWise and FutureReadyNYC for New York City Public Schools students.
New York, NY — December 1, 2025 — CareerWise, in collaboration with New York City Public Schools (NYCPS), today announced the launch of the FutureReadyNYC (FRNYC) Healthcare Pathway Accelerator, a first-of-its-kind initiative designed to efficiently scale youth apprenticeship opportunities for high schoolers across New York City’s healthcare sector. The initiative is made possible with generous support from The James and Judith K. Dimon Foundation and Bloomberg Philanthropies and includes participation by leading healthcare employers and higher education partners.
Through the FRNYC Healthcare Pathway Accelerator, students across NYC public high schools will have access to paid, multi-year earn-and-learn pathways that blend classroom learning with real-world experience at some of the City’s leading healthcare institutions. There is a wide range of healthcare employer involvement from pathway design to the early champion employers hiring apprentices which includes Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) and NewYork-Presbyterian (NYP). Building on insights from the inaugural cohort – led by MSK in Spring 2024 – this new phase will offer seniors from 19 high schools across FutureReadyNYC (FRNYC) and Career Technical Education (CTE) programs the opportunity to pursue pathways in nursing, radiology tech, surgical tech, and other high demand healthcare fields. Using a deliberate and data-driven approach, these high schools have embedded career-connected learning, career exploration, and early college credit into students’ high school experience, preparing them for this opportunity. Higher education institutions LaGuardia Community College and SUNY Empire State University have signed on as partners, ensuring apprentices have clear pathways to college credit and degree attainment.
“This Accelerator represents what’s possible when philanthropists, employers, educators, and labor partners come together to create real opportunity,” said Judy Dimon, President of the Dimon Foundation. “The world of work is being rapidly reshaped by AI and technology. Properly adapting and integrating these innovations with time-tested, cost-effective experiences–like apprenticeships—will help young people learn better, faster, more affordably, and in ways that match real-world demand. It’s the difference between abstract theory and hands-on skill development. By investing in pathways from education to career, we’re building a system that opens doors to meaningful, well-paying jobs for young people across New York City. Organizations like CareerWise are helping connect this on the ground.”
“The healthcare sector is one of New York City’s largest employers and a critical source of upward mobility,” said Howard Wolfson, who leads the Bloomberg Philanthropies Education program. “Through this Accelerator, we’re helping to ensure that the next generation of New Yorkers has the skills, experience, and support to thrive in healthcare careers.”
“This partnership shows the power of employers and labor coming together around a shared talent solution in one of our most critical sectors—healthcare,” said Brent Parton, President of CareerWise. “Together, we’re finishing the job of career pathways for young people by creating a real bridge to good jobs and careers through debt-free, earn-and-learn opportunities. The FRNYC Healthcare Pathway Accelerator is a model for the nation, demonstrating how K–12, higher education, and industry can unite to meet urgent workforce needs while unlocking opportunity for the next generation.”
“We are grateful for our partners and their deep commitment to our students in driving these important initiatives forward,” said Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos. “The Healthcare Pathway Accelerator will provide our students with real-world skills, support, and opportunities that will help them thrive in their future career pathways.”
“The launch of the FRNYC Healthcare Pathway Accelerator demonstrates the commitment of NYCPS to provide students with real-world learning experiences that ensure all students graduate with the knowledge, skills and confidence to succeed in their careers and communities” said Jane Martinez Dowling, Chief, Office of Student Pathways at NYCPS. “The accelerator will provide students with a clear pathway from high school into vital healthcare careers and college. We are grateful to the Dimon Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, and the employer partners who have made this possible.”
“Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) is proud to be part of the FRYNYC Healthcare Pathway Accelerator,” said John Lasky, Chief People Officer at MSK. “Expanding youth apprenticeship opportunities in healthcare is, at its core, about people. It’s about seeing the potential in young New Yorkers and giving them a real chance to build a future they may not have imagined for themselves. When students can earn while they learn, try out meaningful roles, and feel supported as they grow, it changes what’s possible for them—and for all of us. At MSK, this work aligns deeply with our mission to end cancer for life. The future of extraordinary care depends on the next generation of skilled, compassionate professionals, and programs like this help young people step into those paths with confidence. What makes this truly special is the partnership behind it. When employers, schools, and philanthropy come together with a shared commitment to opportunity, we’re not just developing a workforce—we’re opening doors, strengthening communities, and creating real hope for the future.”
The Healthcare Pathway Accelerator draws on the learnings of Bloomberg Philanthropies’ national initiative to create healthcare focused high schools in 12 communities across the country by partnering schools and health systems. One of these healthcare high schools is the Northwell School of Health Sciences, which opened in Fall 2025 in Woodside, Queens. The school provides students with a high quality curriculum and work-based learning opportunities that equip them with the skills and credentials needed to directly enter the healthcare workforce upon graduation.
CareerWise is a national nonprofit organization committed to redefining workforce development through youth apprenticeship and career-connected learning. Since its founding in Colorado in 2016, CareerWise has partnered with businesses of all sizes, from innovative startups to Fortune 500 companies, along with educators to provide high school students with paid, real-world work experience and skills development. To date, CareerWise has connected over 2,500 apprentices in 200+ districts with more than 380 employers across multiple industries, advancing economic opportunity and workforce development nationwide. The apprenticeship model emphasizes a skills-first approach that helps young people gain meaningful employment opportunities while building a diverse, future-ready talent pipeline. For more information, please visit careerwiseusa.org or follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, or Facebook.
New York City Public Schools is a testament to the history and impact of urban education in the United States. With over 1,600 schools spread across five boroughs, the system is made up of approximately 1.1 million students and staff, making it the largest public school system in the nation. These schools employ more than 75,000 teachers who deliver a rich tapestry of educational experiences to a student body that reflects the city’s vibrant and diverse cultural heritage. This network of educational institutions represents not just the scale of New York City’s commitment to public education, but also its dedication to fostering a learning environment that is as dynamic and diverse as the city itself.
Bloomberg Philanthropies invests in 700 cities and 150 countries around the world to ensure better, longer lives for the greatest number of people. The organization focuses on creating lasting change in five key areas: the Arts, Education, Environment, Government Innovation, and Public Health. Bloomberg Philanthropies encompasses all of Michael R. Bloomberg’s giving, including his foundation, corporate, and personal philanthropy as well as Bloomberg Associates, a philanthropic consultancy that advises cities around the world. In 2024, Bloomberg Philanthropies distributed $3.7 billion. For more information, please visit bloomberg.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
The James and Judith K. Dimon Foundation was created in 1996 to pursue scalable, sustainable solutions to systemic obstacles impeding the economic success of young people and families. In 2022, the Foundation launched its most ambitious endeavor by helping to scale FutureReadyNYC (FRNYC), a public–private partnership designed to measurably close the gap between New York’s labor market demand for skilled talent and the lack of clear “rungs within reach” for high school students preparing for 21st century careers. Working directly with NYCPS, industry partners, and key non-profit intermediaries, including higher education, the Foundation seeks to systemically improve how students are introduced, prepared and advised to pursue careers of their choice. As of school year 2025/26, 179 FRNYC high schools—representing one-third of all NYC public high schools and nearly 50,000 students—are implementing ten high-demand career pathways that enable students to obtain early, hands-on paid work experiences, combined with access to college credits and career credentials, and solid plans for post-secondary education and/or training. Early indicators show gains in college credit accumulation, as well as statistically significant improvements in attendance and GPA. By 2030, FRNYC will enable at least 100,000 public high school students to graduate with in-depth career-connected experiences that set them up for future employment in high growth, high opportunity sectors in New York and beyond.
Shauna Harman
Director Marketing and Communications
CareerWise
shauna.harman@careeerwiseusa.org | 317-345-1496