High school students today have many tools and resources available to them to explore different career path possibilities. Parents can be instrumental in guiding children to research possibilities while they are in high school to prevent wasting time and money on career exploration after they start the college years.

Central Louisiana Area Health Education Center (CLAHEC) is a non-profit, community-based organization dedicated to increasing the number of primary health care professionals and improving access to quality health care in rural and underserved communities.

According to the President’s Council of Economic Advisers, health care is forecasted to remain a large source of job growth in the labor market for many years. Louisiana has a great need for qualified, certified health care workers.

CLAHEC addresses this by encouraging students to research health careers, providing opportunities for students to get exposure and experience with different fields of medicine and providing tools for encouraging health careers in the school environment.

Tools include a Web-based health careers director, www.lahealthcareers.com, that enables students, parents, and educators to access information about health careers such as job descriptions, educational requirements, demand, salaries, colleges with programs and links to financial aid and scholarship information.

Informational packet mailings are sent to schools in August that also include copies of program applications. Presentations are scheduled in schools to present current facts and statistics to students about health career possibilities and needs in Louisiana. CLAHEC collaborates with entities such as school boards, health care providers, hospitals, colleges, and more to provide program opportunities that enable students to gain experience and knowledge about different healthcare fields. This will enable students to make a more qualified decision about their futures.

Programs offered this year for high school students include “AHEC of a Summer,” “A Day with the Doctors,” and “CI:Healthcare.” Applications may be obtained from school guidance counselors or downloaded from www.clahec.org. Visit www.clahec.org. for more information.