PWA Healthcare Fellows
Prepare for a healthcare career, and get paid while doing it! PWA fellows will gain certifications and earn money while building experience at leading healthcare employers.
What is the PWA Healthcare Fellows program?
The PWA Healthcare Fellows program is a career-launch opportunity where you can earn early paid certifications in healthcare, get learning stipends for your volunteer time, and gain access to resources, jobs and a community. The goal is to support your career development, while making Oregon’s healthcare workforce stronger, more inclusive, and more linguistically diverse.
When does it start?
We will be hosting a kickoff and CPR-BLS certification on Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026, from 9 am to no later than 3 pm. (Save the date.) We will have 1-2 required session dates or trainings per year. All other Fellows opportunities are optional and/or done on your own schedule. The program is designed to be flexible so that Fellows can balance their other commitments.
Who is eligible to apply or participate?
You must be 16-24 to apply and 17-24 to participate. If you’re accepted as a 16-year-old, we can defer your start date until you’re eligible. If you aren’t accepted, you can apply next year.
How do I apply?
Apply here, no later than Wednesday, January 14, 2026. (Earlier is appreciated.) If you have any questions, check out the frequently asked questions section below, or email us at career@portlandworkforcealliance.org.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is run by the nonprofit Portland Workforce Alliance, which has a mission to provide access to youth career development through community partnerships. PWA works with local school districts, postsecondary partners, and employers including Oregon Health & Science University, Kaiser Permanente, Adventist Health, Legacy Health, Marquis Companies and many more. The Healthcare Fellows program is supported by a state grant.
We will pay a stipend to support your experience at approved healthcare partners, such as OHSU, Kaiser Permanente, Legacy Health, Adventist Health, Marquis, and more. It allows you to get real-world experience in healthcare settings, while also earning money and helping the community. The type of volunteer experience needs to be approved by PWA in advance. You would submit documentation of your hours and a short written reflection about what you learned. Then you would be eligible to receive a stipend. The 2026 reimbursement rate is a $500 learning stipend for every 40 hours of volunteering.
Note: You can volunteer for an unlimited number of hours. You can apply up to 12 hours in any given week toward your learning stipend. Spreading out your volunteer time gives you time to build relationships and learn more.
We’re so glad you asked! 2026 PWA Healthcare Fellows will receive:
- Certification in AHA-BLS CPR (required)
- Certification in Adult Mental Health First Aid (required at 18 and up)
- Learning stipends for your volunteer time in approved healthcare settings
- At least $1000 set aside per fellow
- Access to additional opportunities over 3 years, such as:
- Covering your tuition for the Adventist Health Scholar program
- Covering your tuition/fees to gain training/certification as a Healthcare Interpreter
- Support for other certifications, such as CNA
- Leadership, networking and career development
All 2026 Fellows will be required to:
- Attend the Fellows kickoff on Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026
- Earn their certification in AHA CPR/BLS (cost covered)
- Earn their Adult Mental Health First Aid certification once they are 18 (cost covered)
- Stay in good academic standing
- Keep PWA informed of your progress and college-and-career plans through 1-2 short annual surveys from acceptance through age 24
- Provide documentation and a short reflection for any support
No! You just need to have a sincere demonstrated interest in pursuing a healthcare career.
You must be 16-24 to apply and 17-24 to participate. If you’re accepted as a 16-year-old, we can defer your start date until you’re eligible. If you aren’t accepted, you can apply next year.
We are looking for applicants who have a strong interest in pursuing a healthcare career, and who have a passion for making healthcare more inclusive and responsive to people’s needs. Being fluent or proficient in two languages is a plus. Priority consideration will go to youth who completed the PWA Future of Nursing Mentor Program sometime between 2020 and now.
We will be hosting a kickoff and CPR-BLS certification on in February. We will have 1-2 required session dates or trainings per year. All other Fellows opportunities are optional and/or done on your own schedule. The program is designed to be flexible so that Fellows can balance their other commitments
Check to ensure that your CPR certification is current. They tend to expire after two years. Then check to make sure it’s through the American Heart Association. (The AHA one is what most hospitals and healthcare settings require.) If you already have a current certification in AHA CPR/BLS, send us documentation and you’re good to go. We can help you earn your renewal and/or pursue other certifications.
The kickoff training is required and also a chance to get to know the other Fellows. If anyone gets sick or has a truly immovable conflict, we will help you find an alternative CPR training provider. You are required to complete it within 2 months to maintain your Fellows status.
Yes, you can. However, at this time, we can only offer learning stipends for approved in-person experiences in the Portland metro area. If you are home for the summer, for example, you could volunteer locally, work locally, or get training locally. We can work with you on the details. The Healthcare Fellows would not be a good fit if you have relocated elsewhere.
We plan to accept 20-30 Fellows in each of the following three years.
Healthcare Fellows vs. the Alumni Network
If you have completed one of our mentorship programs (Future of Nursing, Youth Impact Council, Creative Careers, Construction Mentorship Program, Reynolds Career Readiness Series, Summer Career Academy) and graduated from high school, then you are a PWA Alumni and have likely received outreach from us about joining the Alumni Network. The Network is different from the Fellows, and does not require an application to join and participate in! If you want to learn more about the network and how to join/participate, CLICK HERE.
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