Kaiser Permanente: helping youth find employment.

Corporations are spending $2.5 billion a year to fund educational programs and that rate is growing 4% annually. But these companies are not just spending money, they are becoming directly involved in the content and management of those programs. For years the business community tried to help schools by just giving computer equipment, trips, and money. Recently, companies are finding that giving is more effective when it is combined with business-oriented leadership. Companies like Kaiser Permanente are now taking a much more proactive approach.

With the funding of two separate programs, First Break and L.A.U.N.C.H., Kaiser Permanente is opening the door to job opportunities for today's youth.

First Break helps teens find their first job and promotes self-esteem and the responsibility needed to have successful lives and careers. When the Los Angele Unified School District was forced to make painful cuts in its budget it chose to close down the First Break Program. Kaiser Permanente heard about the closin at a Rebuild L.A. (R.L.A.) meeting and came to the rescue. Kaiser picked up the program promising to fully fund it for two years.

First Break is a job development and matching program for high school students in the Los Angeles Unified School District. Its goal is to provide a year-round employment opportunity program, and to provide early work experience. They have close to 300 businesses that list jobs with them and they have placed over 1500 students in entry-level positions. Retail stores and theme parks seem to be the biggest employers. Kaiser Permanente itself hires 15 First Breakers each summer in their summer youth program. They work in the chart rooms and business offices, and they assist in the medical centers in non-patient activities.

First Break offers pre-employment skills training in issues such as business etiquette, resume preparation, work permits, etc. The Personnel and Industrial Relations Association (PIRA) and the Work Experience Advisory staff at each hig school helps with training and placement.

Bob Pola, Kaiser Permanente manager of Human Resource Development, Southern California Region, said "Employers get hard-working motivated young people and they don't have to pay employment fees. The Automobile Association of America had a job opening, we sent 10 students to interview and they liked all of the students so much that they hired them all.

"Our service is so important in that it builds self-confidence, reliability, healthy self-image and responsibility. It also gives a linkage to their studies in the sense that they can see the link between education and career. Working gives them the insight to stay in school," he adds.

L.A.U.N.C.H., which stands for "Learn About Unlimited New Careers in Healthcare," is the product of Kaiser Permanente's three-year partnership with the California Department of Education, and the Employment Development Department (EDD).

L.A.U.N.C.H. has developed educational kits that are designed to assist teacher in creating awareness of all the health care career options. The kits come in three versions, Grade, Middle, and High School and include learning materials such as booklets and videos. Every public school in the State of California is being offered two of these resource kits.

Judi Hansen, director, Region Recruitment Services for Kaiser Permanente said, "We did a survey of children about what careers they thought of when they thought about health care, the most common answer was doctor and nurse, but there are 1200 other job titles in the health care field. We wanted to create awareness of all the career options. There is going to be a 40% to 85% increase in the demand for health care professionals."

"This recruitment desire on our part was coincidental with the movement that is occurring in the education field where the emphasis is on creating a career awareness track from kindergarten through high school. So the health care industry's needs and the schools' needs dovetail nicely ... which creates this partnership."

Carolyn Lee, Health Career Consultant, State Department of Education says "People don't know about the health care career ladder that exists. Health care careers offer many opportunities because there is the opportunity to work yourself up from an entry-level position to a health care professional by attending college courses while working."

The average age of the registered nurse is 48 years old. By the year 2000 it is projected there will be a need for 300,000 more workers in the health care field. Schools are finding that if they start students on a career path early, which can be aided by companies like Kaiser Permanente, students will be prepared to become the professionals of tomorrow and have a better chance of living happy and productive lives.

Mitch Handsone is a contributing editor for the Los Angles Business Journal.