Keck Medicine of the University of Southern California is important to the Los Angeles healthcare community and vital to young people training today in the medical field. Keck Medicine relies on volunteers, and Los Angeles Job Corps takes full advantage of these excellent training opportunities.

Rozi Demirtchian works at Keck. “I help volunteers support volunteers, gain valuable experience. They gain new skills and help themselves get immersed in the world of health care. We try our very best to make sure it’s a great experience for them.”

The world of healthcare is changing – and so is the role of volunteers. “As health care focus on how to better meet the needs of our patients and communities, our volunteers play a critical role in supporting that evolution.”

She says many of the volunteers are the future leaders of the healthcare industry. “We want to support them in every walk of their journey. They’re pretty much looking for mentors to support them on their journey. It’s not only a place for them to give back to the community, but at the same time, I have always encouraged them to get those informational sessions in with other professionals. Talk to them and introduce yourselves. Ask them what they do.”

Classroom and hands-on training are vital to a Job Corps education, but MTC believes workplace learning is just as important.

Los Angeles Job Corps Work Based Learning Manager Oliver Simms believes it’s a great situation for students. “Workplace learning is valuable because of not only the experience you get but the connections you meet. If you do well, you have basically auditioned. And if they see a star, they are going to grab a star. So, a lot of our students end up getting hired.”

And Rozi says Keck Medicine appreciates the Job Corps students’ efforts. “I’m very impressed with them. I met them in 2019. These kids showed up with such eagerness and a willingness to learn and to give back. And I just want to support those kinds of individuals. They are always well-behaved and well-mannered. You know I always follow this quote: ‘If there is a will, there is a way.’ And these kids show that there is a will.”