New Ward 8 Advanced Technical Center and New Health Care Apprenticeship Program
Thursday, October 2, 2025
New ATC and DC HEAL Program offer high school students and graduates additional pathways to high-demand health care careers
(Washington, DC) – Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser was joined by Bloomberg Philanthropies and education and health care partners to celebrate the new Ward 8 Advanced Technical Center (ATC) and launch the new District-wide DC Health Care Employment & Apprenticeship Link (DC HEAL) program, which helps Career Technical Education (CTE) and other high school graduates gain hands-on apprenticeships in high-growth health care careers. Both the new ATC and the DC HEAL program are supported by a $9.5 million contribution from Bloomberg Philanthropies.
“For years, we have been focused on making sure every young person in DC has access to high-quality opportunities that prepare them for success after high school — and the ATC embodies that work,” said Mayor Bowser. “With the new Ward 8 ATC and the new DC HEAL apprenticeship program, we are creating new pipelines for students to go from high school to in-demand health care careers right here in DC.”
The Ward 8 ATC, located at the Whitman-Walker Max Robinson Center, opened this school year, expanding the District’s Career and Technical Education by offering more high school students from across the city the chance to earn industry credentials and college credits, complete paid internships, and gain clinical experience in fields like nursing, medical assisting, and emergency medical first response. Like the District’s first ATC in Ward 5, the Ward 8 ATC is administered by the Office of the State Superintendent of Education and is open to all DC Public Schools and public charter high school students. ATC students take dual-credit college courses from higher education partners Trinity Washington University and the University of the District of Columbia and engage in paid internships with employer partners in the high-demand fields of health care and cybersecurity.
The new DC HEAL apprenticeship offers CTE high school graduates interested in health care careers direct-to-work opportunities, creating pathways into high-demand roles such as certified nursing assistant and patient care technician. DC HEAL launched in August with five health care employers, including hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, and community health centers across the District. Through DC HEAL, recent graduates are hired for one-year, full-time apprenticeships, gaining hands-on learning, mentorship from practicing professionals, and a living wage.