FEATURES
FEATURES
skills such as time management, problem solving, communications and teamwork. Each AU learner completes a 160-hour clinical externship with an employer partner, who often ends up hiring them. They also earn up to 30 college credits that can be applied to any associate or bachelor’s degree at NLU. The program was designed to be as accessible and affordable as possible. We ask prospective AU students for just three things: a high school diploma or GED, a desire to start a new job immediately upon program completion, and the motivation and commitment to complete the coursework. Students who qualify for the maximum federal and state grants might pay $0 out of pocket and leave with no debt. The average age of AU learners is 23, although we have had program participants ranging in age from their late teens to late fifties. Flexibility is also a hallmark of Accelerate U. Because our learners have other responsibilities, including jobs and families, coursework and training are delivered in a hybrid fashion. Participants attend twice weekly “live” online classes with their
Nineteen-year-old Isaiah had graduated from high school and was working at Burger King when COVID-19 hit. The effects of the pandemic motivated him to look into the healthcare field. Lashon, a forty-year-old single mother of three, was working at Home Depot as a supervisor. When her daughter came down with a serious illness that required multiple hospitalizations, she was deeply moved by the care and compassion shown by the medical assistants. Inspired to make a career change, both Isaiah and Lashon came to National Louis University (NLU) and enrolled in Accelerate U’s Winter 2022 Medical Assistant training program. Today, they are working full-time as medical assistants – Isaiah at Access Community Health and Lashon at Northwestern Medicine – serving the community, and taking the first step on an upwardly-mobile healthcare pathway.
Not every learner seeking to increase their knowledge and earn a living wage is ready or able to pursue a traditional four-year bachelor’s degree. NLU created Accelerate U in 2021 to meet the needs of learners who want to generate income immediately for their families and build their skills, while earning college credits toward a degree in the future. We also recognized that a growing number of employers, particularly in high-demand sectors with significant staffing shortages, are moving towards skills-based hiring models that provide a new, diverse, reliable pipeline of talent. Accelerate U (AU) works in partnership with Chicago employers to build training pathways that lead to an industry-recognized credential and in-demand job in 6-8 months. Participants learn technical skills as well as durable, career-readiness “soft”
instructor and weekly cohort coaching sessions remotely. Students in the Medical Assistant training program come to NLU’s campus in downtown Chicago 8-10 times during the six-month training experience for hands-on practice in our specially equipped Skills Lab. Accelerate U currently offers two healthcare training pathways: Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) and Registered Behavior Technician (RBT). CCMAs assist physicians with clinical treatments or procedures, prepare exam rooms, and perform clerical tasks; RBTs help individuals on the autism spectrum and those with behavioral challenges develop social and life skills. A third, IT-focused credential, Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA), launched in Fall 2023. The program also works in partnership with Boston-based nonprofit Propel America to train 18-to-25-year-old opportunity youth in Louisiana, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island to be medical assistants. During the 2022-23 school year, Accelerate U served a total of 262 learners in Chicago and nationally.
Thackston Lundy, Vice President of Workforce Pathways at NLU, describes coaching as the “secret sauce” that helps ensure strong outcomes for Accelerate U learners. All participants enjoy a cohort-based experience with a focus on community and belonging, and receive NLU coaching and wraparound supports – including the support and guidance of AU alumni who work as part-time assistant coaches. Eisha Cloption was Accelerate U’s first Alumni Coach and who Lundy refers to as the “test pilot.” After learning about AU through a Facebook post, she applied and began the Medical Assistant program in Fall 2021. As a busy working mom, she found the structure and pace of the program to fit perfectly with her schedule.
In the Skills Lab, Medical Assistant students learn how to take vital signs, draw blood, and perform other clinical procedures
(Top) In the Skills Lab, Medical Assistant students learn how to measure blood pressure. (Bottom) Members of Accelerate U’s Winter 2022 Medical Assistant cohort.
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