Beaufort Memorial, Beaufort County School District Announce Healthcare Career Development Partnership
March 4, 2025
The future of healthcare in Beaufort County and the Lowcountry is in the hands of dedicated high school students – and a partnership with Beaufort Memorial and the Beaufort County School District will allow those students to gain necessary skills and graduate ready to enter the field.
The partnership, which kicked off in January, allows seniors enrolled at a Beaufort County School District (BCSD) high school who are participating in a Health Sciences Career and Technical Education completer program to participate in Beaufort Memorial’s PATH (People Achieving Their Highest) Program tuition-free.
The pathways available for eligible high school students in this program are Patient Care Technicians (PCTs) and Clinical Medical Assistants (CMAs).
The PATH Program is a workforce development program established in 2022 designed to help individuals achieve their career goals, offering a variety of internal pathway programs at Beaufort Memorial.
“This partnership offers an amazing opportunity for high school seniors in the Beaufort County School District who are interested in exploring a rewarding career in healthcare,” Joy Solomon, MSN, RN, NPD-BC, Director of Education & Workforce Development at Beaufort Memorial. “Students who take advantage of this program will have access to its resources, insights and mentors, giving them a head start financially as they embark upon a career in health care that inspires them.”
The tuition-free training program offered by BCSD and Beaufort Memorial will allow students passionate about a future career in patient care to gain needed career skills and experience, all while they complete high school. The program will enhance classroom instruction for students in these Health Science programs, offering them the opportunity for hands-on practice in Beaufort Memorial’s nursing simulation lab, located in the Career Development Center that opened in Summer 2024.
“We are excited to partner with BMH to provide our high school students with hands-on career development opportunities,” Dr. Frank Rodriguez, BCSD Superintendent. “This collaboration will empower our students with real-world experience and skills that will prepare them for future careers while also strengthening the pipeline of healthcare professionals in our community.”
Seniors participating in the program will graduate at the end of their final year ready to enter the field of healthcare – with a national certification in their chosen pathway. This means skipping entry-level positions in their post-graduation job search and stepping directly into a patient-care role.
Students who are interested in workforce development healthcare training opportunity for the 2025-26 school year need to contact their high school’s Career Development Facilitator for additional details and how to apply.