School District Teams Up With Hospital For Unique Student Job Training

PFLUGERVILLE, TX -- St. David’s North Austin Medical Center is teaming up with the Pflugerville ISD in offering graduating seniors and recent grads opportunities to earn tuition reimbursement while working in a medical setting.

The Austin American-Statesman reports the program is the first its kind for the district, benefiting students pursuing medicine and teaching as potential career tracks.

The idea is the brainchild of Superintendent Alex Torrez, the district director of college and career readiness told the Statesman.
“He thought it was a great way to get students the support they needed,” said Laura Carlin-Gonzalez.

The program helps mitigate financial challenges for some students hoping to pursue medical fields, she added: “One way to overcome that barrier is to partner with them in addition to growing our own.”

The available jobs aren’t in the medical field per se -- the range in tasks runs the gamut from food service to janitorial -- but offers students a chance to earn $10.50 an hour. Once students graduate, those on the medical track would be invited to continue at St. David’s for at least one year. Those on the education track would commit to working as Pflugerville ISD teachers for a minimum one-year stint upon graduation.

Only 20 applicants will be accepted from a pool of about 60 applicants, Carlin-Gonzalez said.

“I can’t say enough about how great an opportunity this is for our students and our recent graduates,” she told the Statesman. “To see the faces of these kiddos as they come in for their interviews; they are so committed to secondary education.”