Apprenticeship - University of Houston
Skip to main content

The Honors College

Apprenticeship

Community Health Worker Apprenticeship Program

  • About

    In July 2020 we hit a major milestone by becoming a registered apprenticeship with the Department of Labor. We developed a CHW apprenticeship because we are committed to the workforce development of community health workers within different healthcare and non-profit sectors.

    In order to be fully effective, community health workers require sturdy organizational support. We are aware that not every organization can provide this so we have developed different pathways of development for new and current community health workers employed by our different partners.

    The development of a community health worker career pathway is especially important to provide an opportunity for employment for CHWs without any college or professional experience. Specifically, CHWs that come from the population being served by different organizations and the UHCHWI. These populations include chronic disease patients, public housing residents, immigrant/refugee individuals, and other vulnerable or under-resourced communities. 

    The UHCHWI apprenticeship is two years long and begins with the apprentice becoming certified as a community health worker within our training center and then continuing to develop professional skills through the development of trust-building activities and continuing education also developed by our training center.

  • Process & Time Commitment

    The apprenticeship has a duration of two years, where apprentice CHWs begin with the community health worker certification course which we provide through our Texas Department of State and Health Services approved training center. This course is project-based, providing apprentice CHWs with hands-on experience and motivating them to think of creative solutions to public health issues, building trust, and motivating positive behavior change in community members. Throughout the program, apprentices have access to mentorship, support, and continuing education to further their skills. Apprentices that are a part of the UHCHWI can also tap into our larger network of CHWs enabling future partnerships and the opportunity for CHWs to expand their knowledge. In addition to providing support to the CHW apprentices, the UHCHWI also provides support to the apprentice’s management team. This helps the management team understand their new CHW workforce better, its place in the organization, and how to encourage the CHW’s sense of agency to produce positive health outcomes for the communities being served.

  • Why choose the UHCHWI Program?

    Community health workers have a well-documented capacity of being able to connect with minority and vulnerable populations. This can provide your organization with the value add of being able to increase and retain your patients, clients, or participants of your services while also being able to respond to their health and social needs through the advocacy of a community health worker.

  • Road Map

    community-health-worker-apprenticeship-roadmap.png
    If you would like to know more information about our apprenticeship please contact Cindy Paz, program director, at crpaz2@central.uh.edu or 713-743-6830.