Kaiser Permanente Recruits Local Students for Summer Job Training and Educational Opportunities

School may be out, but for some motivated students summer plans include a challenging and fulfilling opportunity to work in health care and the medical field.

For the 48th year, Kaiser Permanente is hosting KP LAUNCH. Hundreds of students aged 16-20 will work in paid internships at its medical centers throughout California.

In the Napa/ Solano area, 20 students will work in various departments at the Kaiser Permanente medical centers in Vacaville and Vallejo. They have already been selected from a competitive pool of applicants and represent schools from throughout Solano County. The students began their paid internships on June 13.

The program runs eight weeks and students will work in areas such as ophthalmology, radiology, emergency department, trauma, rehab, pediatrics, adult medicine, women’s health, and peri-operative. In addition to working 40 hours a week, students will also participate in regular educational day sessions. They will cover topics including public speaking, financial literacy and career planning. The students will also take tours of the hospitals and various Kaiser Permanente facilities.

Since it started in 1968, KP LAUNCH, (formerly called the Summer Youth Employment Program), has been a valuable tool for teaching students about the work force. Some graduates of the program have even returned to Kaiser Permanente as either full- or part-time employees.

The goal of the program is to build and sustain a diverse, culturally competent workforce for the future.

For more information about KP LAUNCH, visit http://share.kaiserpermanente.org/article/ncal-launch/