The first Cincinnati Bridge to Employment (BTE) partnership was funded by Johnson & Johnson from 1997 to 2000 and focused on reaching at-risk youth in the Northwest Local School District at Hughes Center High School. The BTE project was coordinated through Health Excel Services, a program of the Health Technologies Division at Cincinnati State Technical & Community College, in collaboration with Ethicon Endo-Surgery, a local Johnson & Johnson operating company. Together, they broadened the base of the learning environment and created a collaborative partnership.
Through the three-year BTE program, a large number of students in the Diversified Health Occupations program:
- Participated in field trip experiences that compliment classroom teaching by increasing the student's exposure to numerous professional healthcare careers, including visits to Ethicon-Endo Surgery;
- Received in-class instruction on professional behaviors and communication skills;
- Participated in regional and state Diversified Health Occupation competitions (with one BTE participant winning a gold medal); and
- Received career, academic and financial assistance counseling.
