City Colleges Partners with HHS to Boost Student Access to Public Service Opportunities

With a ceremonial stroke of their pens, City Colleges of Chicago Chancellor Juan Salgado and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary for Administration Cheryl Campbell signed a mutually beneficial agreement Wednesday afternoon.

City Colleges and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have reached an agreement to increase awareness and interest in public service jobs. To achieve that goal, City Colleges students will have access to HHS scholarships, fellowships, grants, and internships. They will also be able to participate in HHS career development and training opportunities. This partnership hopes to develop a pipeline of diverse candidates for future HHS jobs.

Chancellor Salgado believes City Colleges is the perfect place for HHS to find the candidates they're looking for.

"If you're looking for diversity in experience or perspective, you're going to look at City Colleges," Chancellor Salgado said. "[Our students] have lived experience that will allow them to understand the lived experience of others. They're also incredibly persistent, and they have great vision for their future and for the future of society."

This partnership will ensure City Colleges students are at the front line of opportunities HHS has to offer. City Colleges is one of 43 HHS partnerships in the country.

"We need to have thought leaders from diverse backgrounds impacting policies that affect the communities they come from," U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary for Administration Campbell said. "We must make sure that our young men and women know that careers in government as a public servant are rewarding careers, and it's an opportunity to have a seat at the table."

HHS is part of the executive branch of the U.S. federal government. Its mission is to improve the health and well-being of Americans by offering effective health and human services and promoting ongoing scientific advancements in medicine, public health, and social services.