Norwalk Hospital and Dalio Education celebrate 10 graduates of the Academy for Career Readiness

NORWALK, Conn., October Oct. 8, 2026 — Northwell Health's Norwalk Hospital today celebrated 10 students as the second graduating cohort of the hospital's Academy for Career Readiness, a 12-week workforce development program that trains young adults for entry-level jobs in healthcare. The program was designed in partnership with Dalio Education and the McChord Foundation who provided a generous grant to support underserved young people with skills-training and jobs in healthcare. The program was created in partnership with Dalio Education, the McChord Foundation and Domus Kids.

Over 12 weeks, the graduates completed classroom instruction, hands-on training and wraparound support designed to prepare them for multiple hospital roles. The academy was announced in 2025 and graduated its first class of six students on May 21, 2026, some of whom are now employed at Norwalk Hospital.

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"Today, we celebrate 10 graduates whose hard work and determination reflect exactly what the Academy for Career Readiness was created to support — meaningful pathways to opportunity, purpose and long-term success," says Dan DeBarba, president of Norwalk Hospital. "Through our collaboration with Dalio Education, the McChord Foundation and Domus Kids, we are honored to help young people in Norwalk and the surrounding communities build the skills, confidence and experience they need to launch careers in healthcare and strengthen the future of our workforce."

"Celebrating the second graduating class from the Academy for Career Readiness is a proud moment for us all and a testament to the hard work and determination of these talented young people. These graduates are an inspiration to their families, communities and the young people who will follow in their footsteps. Their success shows what is possible when young people have access to opportunity and the support they need to pursue it. We are grateful to our partners at Northwell Health for making this program possible, and to the McChord's for their continued support and shared commitment to helping young adults build brighter futures," says Barbara Dalio, founder and CEO of Dalio Education.

What the 12-week Academy for Career Readiness program teaches

The academy is designed to help young adults explore healthcare career pathways and build the foundational skills needed for long-term success.

Over the course of 12 weeks, the 10 most recent graduates learned the skills required for multiple healthcare roles, including:

· Patient care technician (PCT)

· Unit secretary

· Patient access liaison

· Environmental services

Plans to expand the academy to Danbury Hospital

The investment from Dalio Education supports Norwalk Hospital's workforce development initiative, with plans to bring the Academy for Career Readiness to Danbury Hospital in the future.

The Academy for Career Readiness is the latest in a series of initiatives aimed at fostering economic self-sufficiency and career development for young people. The program is a part of the larger workforce development strategy of Northwell Health and is focused on providing opportunities for young people who need support.

Why it matters: nearly 120,000 Connecticut young adults are disconnected from school and work

According to a 2023 report, "Connecticut's Unspoken Crisis: Getting Young People Back on Track," commissioned by Dalio Education, nearly 120,000 of Connecticut's 14 to 26-year-olds, including 1,356 young people in Norwalk, are at-risk of becoming or disconnected from education and employment systems that can help them achieve economic self-sufficiency.

A model for public, private and philanthropic collaboration

Together, Northwell Health, Dalio Education, the McChord Foundation and Domus Kids, are creating pathways to careers in healthcare by providing wraparound services, hard and soft skills-development and experiential learning opportunities that prepare those enrolled for gainful employment. The design of this targeted workforce training program creates a model for how public, private and philanthropic sectors can work together to deliver real, measurable change for a population of young people who have been chronically underserved.