Micro-internship program introduces Cajon High School students to IEHP career pathways

 Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP) welcomed students from Cajon High School to its first micro-internship, a one-day program focused on entry-level career pathways held on April 24 in collaboration with San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools’ (SBCSS) Workforce SBCSS Program.

Highlights included a panel discussion with IEHP leaders, campus tours and lunch for participants, all of whom were or are currently enrolled in Cajon High’s Behavioral Health & Human Services Pathway Program.

“This is such an exciting moment for me because you are the very first students to set foot on our IEHP campus,” said Carmen Vega, IEHP’s manager of Community Behavioral Health and Community Supports.

The Workforce SBCSS Program features in-person/virtual interactions between industry partners and small groups of students. Its mission is to transform lives through workplace readiness, and micro-internships are one way to make that possible.

“We really want [our students] to be able to learn technical and essential skills that will be able to support their transition into a workplace like IEHP,” said Jalisa Randle, project manager for Workforce SBCSS.

IEHP first collaborated with SBCSS in June 2023 to host micro-internships on its campus, allowing students to connect directly with industry leaders to ask in-depth questions; learn and practice foundational workplace-related skills; receive hands-on training and feedback; and broaden their professional network.

Cajon High School is located in the north end of San Bernardino off West Hill Drive. Out of close to 2,800 students enrolled, 78% are identified as socioeconomically disadvantaged and 6.4% are English language learners. Curriculum and programs like the site’s career pathway are designed to meet the diverse needs of the school’s population of students and set them for success pre- and-post-graduation.

“I have the privilege of having a great community at school where [our pathway lead] Mr. [Christian] Peters and my counselor helped me get into this program,” said Melody Glass, a Cajon High senior. “I don’t think I would have been here otherwise without them.”

To learn more about Workforce SBCSS, go to www.wsbcss.org. For more on IEHP and careers available, visit careers.iehp.org.

With a mission to heal and inspire the human spirit, Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP) is one of the top 10 largest Medicaid health plans, the largest not-for-profit Medicare-Medicaid public health plan in the country, and for the third year in a row, certified as A Great Place To Work®. Founded in 1996, IEHP supports more than 1.5 million Riverside and San Bernardino County residents enrolled in Medicaid or IEHP DualChoice (those with both Medi-Cal and Medicare). As of 2024, IEHP also offers Covered California plans, further ensuring health care access for even more IE residents. Today, IEHP has a robust network of quality doctors throughout our two counties and nearly 4,000 team members who are fully committed to the vision: We will not rest until our communities enjoy optimal care and vibrant health. To learn more, go to iehp.org.