The Albuquerque BTE partnership was designed to encourage students to complete their high school education and prepare students for meaningful employment in the health occupations area of their choice. A steering team drew from a wide body of expertise: faculty with knowledge in teaching high school and vocational students; high school administrators with experience in curriculum development and school-to-work efforts; an evaluation expert; and community members who have intimate knowledge of community connections for the purpose of placing students in job shadowing and mentorship activities. The BTE program incorporated carefully selected academics, job shadowing, mentoring by healthcare providers, and work experience in the healthcare industry. Specifically, a health career pathway was designed for Highland High School, which included a healthcare mentorship class in the junior year and a co-operative work or concurrent enrollment at TVI during the senior year. The mentorship class curriculum involved pairing each student with a mentor and focused on learning medical terminology, safety and universal precautions, professionalism, ethics, workplace violence, equipment handling, and general employability skills such as resume writing and job interviewing. Mentorship locations were established with Lovelace Hospital, Presbyterian Hospital, University Hospital, and Veterans Administration Medical Center.
