Training local talent. Strengthening local care.
For many young people, a career in healthcare can feel out of reach – not for lack of ambition, but because the route from classroom to career is often fragmented. At the same time, local healthcare providers need skilled professionals who understand the communities they serve.
The stakes are especially high in Compton. The community surrounding Compton College is federally designated as both a Medically Underserved Area and a Mental Health Professional Shortage Area. Residents experience high rates of chronic disease and mental health concerns, along with limited access to culturally responsive care. Meanwhile, more than 1,000 local healthcare positions remain open, even as too few residents have clear pathways into these careers.
Imagine a student who first encounters the healthcare system while accompanying a parent or grandparent to an appointment. Through a program at school, that student begins to see the clinic differently – not only as a place where their family receives care, but as a place where they could build a future. With the right courses, guidance and hands-on experience, that young person could one day return as the nurse, technician or community health worker helping another family navigate its care.
That journey captures what is possible when investments in education, economic opportunity and community health reinforce one another. A student gains a pathway to a living-wage career. A local provider gains a skilled professional with deep community knowledge. And patients receive care from someone who understands the place they call home.
According to The Burning Glass Institute’s 2026 Los Angeles Mobility Atlas, healthcare is among the most in-demand sectors in L.A. and one of the highest-mobility occupations that can lead to living-wage jobs.
The Compton Community Health Professions Partnership (CCHPP) is a coalition of local schools, community colleges, universities, healthcare providers and community organizations helping young people in Compton envision a future in healthcare and giving them the tools and support to pursue it.
Led by Compton College, CCHPP is a community-rooted pipeline that guides students from middle and high schools in the Compton Unified School District to degree programs at Compton College, CSU Dominguez Hills and Charles Drew University and training and employment opportunities with healthcare partners like St. John’s Community Health, Watts Healthcare, Kaiser Permanente and Kedren Health.
Students can explore careers early, take dual-enrollment courses, receive guidance and gain experience through internships, apprenticeships and clinical training.
By linking each stage of the journey to align education and training with the needs of local healthcare providers – and preparing Compton students for a successful healthcare career – CCHPP is building more than a workforce pipeline; it is creating a model for expanding economic opportunity for students to pursue careers that strengthen their community.
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