COMPTON, CA – California Secretary of Labor Stewart Knox and California Secretary of Health & Human Services Kim Johnson visited the EMS Corpsopens in a new window program in Compton at the Neighborhood Housing Services (NHS) Center for Sustainable Communities to highlight the state’s investment in innovative job training that connects young Californians to careers in healthcare and emergency response.
“The EMS Corps is an example of what it means to build a workforce that reflects the communities it serves,” said Secretary Knox. “When we combine earn-and-learn training programs with built-in mentorship and support, we prepare young people to thrive in good-paying jobs while strengthening California’s healthcare system.”
“Through a thoughtful, community-based approach, EMS Corps is providing hundreds of young people with opportunities and career pathways,” said Secretary Johnson. “By intentionally supporting the whole person, from mental health to mentorship, this program helps trainees build their skills, their purpose, all while serving their communities.”
Established in Alameda County, EMS Corps is a five-month, paid training program that prepares young adults, ages 18 to 26, to become certified Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs). The program is nationally recognized for its success serving youth who are justice-involved, in foster care, or otherwise disconnected from traditional education and employment. EMS Corps combines EMT instruction with comprehensive wraparound services, including life coaching, mental health support, healing circles, job readiness training, and post-graduation placement assistance.
“Having the Cabinet Secretaries and Community Colleges Office of the Chancellor all here in Compton to talk to our students and see an EMS Corps site firsthand was amazing. Each EMS Corps site shows the potential of young people and the power of community-based partnerships. We’re excited to see the long-term impact these 11 new EMS Corps sites have in communities across our state.” -Jeff Metcalfe, Principal & Chief Operating Officer of Public Works Alliance
“We live in communities that are often underserved and divested from, and our job is to change that for future generations. NHS’ EMS Corps program offers young people who live in our community the opportunity to transform their lives through strategic workforce development. This is a game-changer transition moment for any young person; we’re hopeful that many more members of our community will participate as we build the programs in the future.” -Lori Gay, CEO of NHS of LA County
California has invested $27 million to expand Alameda’s model to 11 sites statewide. Since 2024, more than 500 participants have completed training, with 85 percent employed within a year of graduation. While many start their careers as EMTs, others have used their EMS Corps training to further advance into positions as paramedics, firefighters, doctors, and nurses.
Path & Purpose
The success of many young men in EMS Corps demonstrates the promise of Governor Gavin Newsom’s executive orderopens in a new window focused on supporting young men. EMS Corps is one example of the Governor’s all-of-government approach to getting young men the help they need while reducing stigma and expanding access to meaningful education, mentorship opportunities, and career pathways that foster workforce engagement, reduce income inequality, and strengthen communities.
“It definitely opened my eyes to a new part of the world, in the medical field, which I knew nothing about [before] going into this, and didn’t honestly think I would be interested in until I started coming to class more and getting the material. It’s impacted me one, with a routine and two, with a sense of purpose. I don’t feel lost anymore, I feel like I have a good sense of direction in terms of what I want to do with my life and where I want to go.” -Jeremiah Moore, 20-year-old EMS Corps trainee
“EMT and EMS you can go down so many different career paths in the future. So, I feel like they’re trying to see you win and they’re trying to help you get to the most successful place for you, wherever you’re trying to go. Wherever your destination is, Compton EMS Corps is trying to get you there and set you up for success long term.” -Rico Robinson, 26-year-old EMS Corps trainee
The Governor’s executive order is responding to an important crisis. Young men are more disconnected from school, work, and relationships than ever before, with nearly one in four men under 30 years old reporting that they have no close friends, a five-fold increase since 1990, with higher rates of disconnection for young Black men. This disconnection has pulled men out of the workplace. Labor force participation among men without a college degree is at a historic low, with about one in nine men aged 25-54 neither working nor looking for work.
At the same time, EMS Corps is serving countless young women, opening a promising career pathway while providing comprehensive wraparound services.
“EMS Corps has definitely given me good discipline and more structure. I think a routine is good for me and it’s also made me more social. It’s opened my eyes to all of the options that I have and my potential.” -Janiya Wright, 21-year-old trainee
Master Plan for Career Education
In addition, the EMS Corps model advances Governor Newsom’s Master Plan for Career Educationopens in a new window, which aims to strengthen career pathways, prioritize hands-on learning and real-life skills, and advance access and affordability through streamlined collaboration and partnership so that all Californians can navigate toward career-sustaining jobs.