Through the Providing Instruction for Tomorrow’s Collegians and Hires (PITCH) program, a partnership between St. Petersburg College and the City of St. Petersburg’s Cohort of Champions program, Bill and Timothy Baptiste earned their Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) Certificates from SPC in 2018 and immediately gained full-time employment at a local community health center in south St. Pete.

For students like Bill and Timothy Baptiste who want to lend and develop their skills in the medical field, more opportunities in CMA training are coming.

SPC recently received a $199,739 Florida Pathways to Career Opportunities Grant to establish a Clinical Medical Assistant (CMA) Pre-apprenticeship Program that will support the growing workforce need for medical assistants.

The program will also be a gateway for those interested in further pursuing a career in the medical field, such as in nursing or radiology.

The City of St. Petersburg’s Cohort of Champions funds entrepreneurial and educational training opportunities for African American male youth at SPC. The program also provides participants with opportunities for skill building, leadership-focused workshops and events, mentoring, tutoring, academic advising, and wraparound services.