3/1/26

• The Summer 2026 application for Highway to Work: CNA, EMT, and ER Tech is open! 

Role Overview: The EMT track is a preparatory eight-week program designed to make participants competitive for future intensive EMT-B programs. EMTs are first responders who operate ambulances, provide basic emergency care, and transport patients to medical facilities during various high-stakes, emergency situations.

Program Structure: Students participate in a two-week career readiness bootcamp, then learn entry-level EMT basics through the EMS 230 course at Merritt College. This includes ride-along opportunities onboard a 911, ALS Falck Ambulance and specialized weekly career readiness workshops to build professional skills.

Requirements and Suitability: Because the role is high-intensity, candidates must work well under pressure and be comfortable with blood, trauma, and psychiatric emergencies. Participants must be willing to commit to a fitness program and eventually be able to lift up to 180 pounds during field operations.

Completion Outcome: Completion provides a competitive edge for programs like the official Royal Ambulance.

Role Overview: The CNA track is an intensive eight-week program. CNAs are essential medical professionals who assist patients with daily activities like eating, bathing, dressing, and mobility. They are also responsible for collecting vital signs and patient information in various settings, including hospitals and nursing homes.

Program Structure: Students participate in a two-week career readiness bootcamp followed by a formal CNA course delivered by Quest Nursing Education. This includes clinical experience at Alameda Health System's skilled nursing facilities along with weekly communication skills and structured study groups.

Requirements and Suitability: This pathway is ideal for patient, detail-oriented individuals who are comfortable with early morning shifts, as we require a 7:00 AM start time. It is the only Highway program that accepts an ITIN for eligibility and focuses on graduates finding immediate, local full-time work.

Completion Outcome: Completion leads to official state-issued California CNA certification.

Role Overview: The ER Tech track is a ten-week intensive curriculum preparing students for roles within hospital Emergency Departments. ER Techs take vitals, clean wounds, splint fractures, and assist the medical team during life-saving interventions, cardiac codes, and various psychiatric emergencies.

Program Structure: Students participate in a two-week career readiness bootcamp, then learn phlebotomy skills at the Bay Area Medical Academy. This includes weekly technical training for the emergency room, forty-hour externships, and clinical rotations at UCSF Health and Alameda Health Systems.

Requirements and Suitability: This pathway requires exceptional discipline as the most demanding track. The nature of ER work is grueling, involving back-to-back classroom and clinical shifts extending into evenings and weekends that require a cleared, completely open personal schedule for ten weeks.

Completion Outcome: Completion leads to official state-issued California Phlebotomy Technician licensure.