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Workforce Development · 2026Healthcare Pre‑Apprenticeship Pathway
Everything you need to run a cohort — pacing, prerequisites, coach notes on every journey, rosters, sign-off sheets and answer keys.
Group Leader & Instructor Edition
Hosted by Dr. Rob Gillio, MDLearn It · Live It · Share It™
Before your first session
“Nobody starts a healthcare career knowing what they want to be. You start by getting curious, then you get useful. Work these five stages in order and by the end you won’t just know the jobs — you’ll know which one is yours, and you’ll have the badges to prove you’re ready for it.”
— Dr. Rob Gillio, MD · Co-Founder & CMO, The Force for Health® NetworkThe Force for Health® Pre-Apprenticeship Pathway sparks awareness, builds interest and creates real opportunity for anyone curious about a healthcare career — then hands them the next step: a registered apprenticeship or an entry-level role.
This edition is for the instructor, teacher, workforce coach or community Group Leader who runs a cohort. Your learners have the Learner Edition — the same pages, without the coach layer.
What this edition adds
- A coach box on every stage — pacing, prompts, what to watch for
- A coach tip on all 19 journeys
- Answer keys for every stage check
- Coach’s Corner: pacing planner, live roster, sign-off sheets, badge log
How to use it
- Read the learner pages with your learners — they have the same book
- Use the ☰ Chapters menu or ← → keys to move
- Print or Save as PDF any time — every page is a letter-size sheet
- Tools you fill in stay on this device
Contents
Prerequisites
New Member Basics
Take the Pledge with Dr. Rob, tour the platform with Coach Lucy, set your health goals and complete your HealthBASICS Assessment.
Why it matters: You already know how coins, your Force Field and your Locker work — so every badge in this pathway lands where you can find it.
VIVA
Dr. Rob's VIVA video series — the body systems, how they work, and the risks that harm them.
Why it matters: You already speak the language of the body. Skills Lab 2, Infection Control and every career journey build on it.
Health BASICS
The core health-literacy courses — BMI, cholesterol, blood sugar and A1C, nutrition, medication safety and more.
Why it matters: You can read a number, explain it in plain language, and help someone else understand it. That is the job.
- Ask each learner to open their Locker / Force Field and show the three badges — or check the transcript.
- Missing one? Assign it as week-zero homework; it does not hold up the rest of the cohort for long.
- Log it on the roster in Coach’s Corner (the NMB · VIVA · HB columns).
Five stages, start to career
From the human skills every employer asks for first, through the compliance floor, to a specific career and a real professional conversation.
Work the stages in order
Each stage builds on the one before. Stages 1–3 are for everyone. In Stage 4 you choose — explore at least three of the eight careers. Stage 5 puts you in front of a real professional.
Every journey pays out
Finish a journey and you bank its LEARN It Coins plus 50 EARN It Coins and a badge. Finish a stage and you earn its Stage Credential. Earn all five and you are Pre-Apprentice Certified.
- Semester cohort: 15 weeks · Intensive cohort: 8 weeks — both laid out in the Pacing Planner (Coach’s Corner).
- Stage 4 is the heaviest (180 lessons across 8 careers) — learners only need 3 of them for the credential.
25 microcredentials
Every microcredential is backed by lessons and checkpoints you actually finished.
One per journey — from Soft Skills: Skills Lab 1 to the Professional Interview Badge. Each pays its LEARN It Coins plus 50 EARN It Coins.
Complete every journey in a stage (any 3 of 8 in Stage 4) and the Stage Credential is yours.
Earn all five Stage Credentials. +2,500 SHARE It Coins and verified readiness for a registered apprenticeship or entry-level role.
The five Stage Credentials
Badges and credentials land on your Force Field and in your Locker when you are signed in. Your live tracker is on page 30.
Skills for Healthcare & Life
Before scrubs and stethoscopes come showing up, speaking up and working as a team. Stage 1 builds the human skills every employer asks for first.
“Employers hire for skills and fire for attitude. Show up, speak up, and be the one people can count on — the clinical part comes next.”
— Dr. RobBy the end of this stage you can…
- Communicate clearly with patients, families and teammates
- Show up reliably — on time, prepared, professional
- Handle vitals, safety and body mechanics basics
- Know the non-clinical jobs that keep care running
How: Complete all 3 journeys in Stage 1. Communication, teamwork, reliability, and the non-clinical skills that keep a care setting running.
- Open with the “why”: employers rank reliability and communication above clinical skill at entry level.
- Soft Skills has no checkpoints — use exit tickets.
- Watch for: learners rushing Stage 1 to “get to the medical part.”
- Discussion: Tell us about a time someone’s attitude made a service experience better or worse.
500LEARN It
50EARN It21st Century Soft Skills — BASICS
Communication, teamwork, reliability and the habits that make you hireable anywhere.
🏅 Soft Skills: Skills Lab 1Learn It — complete all 23 lessons.
Live It — Hold one conversation today where you repeat back what you heard before you answer.
Share It — Tell someone which soft skill is your strongest — and which one you are building.Run two-minute role-plays (late shift change, upset family member). Grade the listening, not the answer.
750LEARN It50EARN ItSkills Lab 2: Foundational Healthcare Readiness
Vitals, safety, body mechanics and the readiness basics of any care setting.
🏅 Skills Lab 2 BadgeLearn It — complete all 15 lessons and 2 checkpoints.Live It — Take your resting pulse for 30 seconds on three different days and log it.Share It — Show a family member the “lift with your legs, keep it close” posture.Pair learners to take each other’s pulse and practice safe lifting before the checkpoint.
750LEARN It50EARN ItSkills Lab 3: Non-Clinical Skills in a Health Care Setting
Front desk, scheduling, records, billing — the jobs that keep care running.
🏅 Skills Lab 3 BadgeLearn It — complete all 19 lessons and 2 checkpoints.Live It — Write a three-line front-desk greeting you would use with a patient.Share It — Read it to your group and ask for one improvement.Invite a front-desk, billing or scheduling professional for a 15-minute Q&A.
How: Complete all 3 journeys in Stage 1. Communication, teamwork, reliability, and the non-clinical skills that keep a care setting running.
Check your understanding
The same three questions your learners answer.
Correct answers are highlighted in green. Passing = 2 of 3 (learners bank 25 LEARN It Coins).
- 1. Listen, acknowledge their frustration, and explain what you can do
- 2. Medical biller
- 3. Bend your knees, keep the load close, and avoid twisting
Important Concepts
Every healthcare worker — clinical or not — is trusted with privacy, safety and fairness. Stage 2 is the compliance floor you stand on.
“Every person who walks into a care setting trusts you with their privacy, their safety and their dignity. This stage is how you earn that trust.”
— Dr. RobBy the end of this stage you can…
- Protect patient privacy under HIPAA
- Break the chain of infection with standard precautions
- Spot workplace hazards and know your OSHA rights
- Explain why ZIP code shapes health — and help people use digital tools
How: Complete all 5 journeys in Stage 2. HIPAA, infection control, OSHA, health equity and digital navigation — the compliance floor every employer requires.
- Twelve checkpoints — the densest stage for assessment. Review scores weekly.
- HIPAA myth to bust: it does not stop care teams from sharing information needed for treatment.
- Watch for: learners treating equity as “someone else’s job.”
- Discussion: Where could private health information be overheard in our community?
500LEARN It50EARN ItBe a HIPAA Hero BASICS
Patient privacy in plain language, with the real-world judgment calls.
🏅 HIPAA Hero BadgeLearn It — complete all 1 lessons and 2 checkpoints.Live It — Notice two places in daily life where health information could be overheard.Share It — Explain to a friend, in one sentence, what protected health information is.Short journey, big ideas. Use “hallway conversation” scenarios and ask: allowed, or not?
1,000LEARN It50EARN ItHealth Equity and Population Health
Why ZIP code predicts health outcomes — and what a workforce can do about it.
🏅 Health Equity Journey BadgeLearn It — complete all 18 lessons and 2 checkpoints.Live It — Look up one health statistic for your own county.Share It — Share that fact — with its source — with your group.Have each learner bring one local data point; build a class “community health snapshot.”
1,000LEARN It50EARN ItInfection Control
Standard precautions, PPE and the chain of infection, start to finish.
🏅 Infection Control Journey BadgeLearn It — complete all 25 lessons and 2 checkpoints.Live It — Wash your hands with soap for a full 20 seconds, every step, five times today.Share It — Teach a younger family member the 20-second handwash.Demonstrate the full handwash and PPE on/off sequence; have learners teach it back.
600LEARN It50EARN ItMy Healthy Digital Health Navigator Training
Portals, telehealth and helping people use the tools their care depends on.
🏅 Understanding Telehealth Career BadgeLearn It — complete all 9 lessons and 4 checkpoints.Live It — Log into a patient portal (yours, or a family member’s with permission) and find one appointment or result.Share It — Help someone set up their portal or a telehealth app.Learners help each other log into a real portal or demo app — screens down for privacy.
1,000LEARN It50EARN ItOSHA in Healthcare
Workplace safety standards, hazards and your rights on the job.
🏅 OSHA in Healthcare Journey BadgeLearn It — complete all 8 lessons and 2 checkpoints.Live It — Find the exits, fire extinguisher and first-aid kit wherever you study or work.Share It — Point out one hazard — and its fix — to your group.Do a five-minute hazard walk of your own room; list findings on the board.
How: Complete all 5 journeys in Stage 2. HIPAA, infection control, OSHA, health equity and digital navigation — the compliance floor every employer requires.
Check your understanding
The same three questions your learners answer.
Correct answers are highlighted in green. Passing = 2 of 3 (learners bank 25 LEARN It Coins).
- 1. Individually identifiable health information about patients
- 2. Hand hygiene
- 3. OSHA
Career Awareness Pathway
Healthcare is far bigger than doctor and nurse. Stage 3 opens the whole map so you can find the role that fits you.
“Healthcare is bigger than doctor and nurse. There are hundreds of roles — let's find the ones built for you.”
— Dr. RobBy the end of this stage you can…
- Complete a strengths-based career self-assessment
- Map the major career families in healthcare
- Compare training time, settings and pay ranges
- Name your top three career families
How: Complete both journeys in Stage 3. A documented self-assessment and a working map of the healthcare career landscape.
- Collect every learner’s top three career families — use them to group Stage 4 teams.
- Invite two professionals from different career families for a short panel.
- Watch for: learners picking a career only for pay — ask what a normal Tuesday looks like.
- Discussion: What surprised you most about how many roles exist?
500LEARN It50EARN ItDiscover Your Path in Health Professions
A guided self-assessment that matches your strengths to real career families.
🏅 Discover Your Pathways BadgeLearn It — complete all 13 lessons and 1 checkpoints.Live It — Write down your top three career families from the self-assessment.Share It — Ask someone who knows you well whether they agree, and why.Collect everyone’s top three career families — it tells you how to group Stage 4.
500LEARN It50EARN ItHealth Care Career Exploration
28 lessons touring the roles, settings, pay ranges and entry points.
🏅 Health Care Career Exploration BadgeLearn It — complete all 28 lessons and 4 checkpoints.Live It — Pick two roles and compare their training time and typical setting.Share It — Share your most surprising career discovery.Assign pairs to present one career in 60 seconds. 28 lessons go faster together.
Check your understanding
The same three questions your learners answer.
Correct answers are highlighted in green. Passing = 2 of 3 (learners bank 25 LEARN It Coins).
- 1. Many roles can be started with a certificate or short program
- 2. Diagnostic services
- 3. Matching your strengths and interests to career families
Specific Career Exploration
Now go deep. Each journey is a day-in-the-life of a real role — what you'd do, what it takes to get there, and what comes next.
“Try a career on before you commit to it. Pick at least three, go deep, and pay attention to which one keeps you curious.”
— Dr. RobBy the end of this stage you can…
- Walk a day in the life of at least three real roles
- Know the typical training and credential for each
- Compare settings, pace and patient contact
- Pick the role you want to pursue first
How: Complete any 3 of the 8 career journeys in Stage 4. Informed, first-hand exploration of at least three specific healthcare roles.
- Learners choose at least 3 of 8. Group them by interest so they can present to each other.
- Two journeys (EMT, PT) have no checkpoints — add your own exit ticket.
- Home Care Aid (46) and Radiology (42) are long — plan two weeks for either.
- Discussion: Which career could you see yourself doing on your hardest day — and why?
Compare the eight careers
Eight real roles, eight different days at work. Pick the three you want to try on first.
| Career | Family | Where you’d work | Typical next step after this pathway | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nursing Assistant (CNA) 12 lessons · 4 checkpoints | Direct patient care | Hospitals, nursing homes, rehab | State-approved training (federal minimum 75 hours) + state competency exam | |
| EMT 17 lessons · 0 checkpoints | Emergency & prehospital | Ambulance, fire service, events | State-approved EMT course + national (NREMT) exam in most states | |
| Home Care Aide 46 lessons · 1 checkpoints | Home & community care | Clients’ homes, group homes | Training varies by state; home health aides need 75+ hours at Medicare-certified agencies | |
| Medical Assistant 20 lessons · 3 checkpoints | Clinic — clinical + office | Doctor’s offices, clinics | Certificate or associate program; optional national certification (e.g., CMA, RMA) | |
| OT / OT Assistant 17 lessons · 2 checkpoints | Rehabilitation | Hospitals, schools, rehab, homes | OTA: associate degree + national exam · OT: graduate degree | |
| Phlebotomist 12 lessons · 4 checkpoints | Laboratory & diagnostic | Labs, hospitals, blood centers | Short certificate program + national certification; a few states license | |
| PT / PT Assistant 14 lessons · 0 checkpoints | Rehabilitation | Outpatient clinics, hospitals, sports | PTA: associate degree + national exam · PT: doctorate (DPT) | |
| Radiologic Technologist 42 lessons · 2 checkpoints | Imaging & diagnostic | Hospitals, imaging centers | Associate degree + ARRT certification; many states license |
Training and licensing rules vary by state — check your state’s requirements and ask your Group Leader. “National exam” means a national certification or registry exam.
- Have learners tick their top three here first, then form interest groups of 3–5.
- Pair each group with one professional from that family for Stage 5.
600LEARN It50EARN ItCertified Nursing Assistant Pre-Apprentice
The bedside role that opens more doors than any other entry point.
🏅 Certified Nursing Assistant BadgeLearn It — complete all 12 lessons and 4 checkpoints.Live It — Help someone at home with a daily task and notice what patience and dignity look like.Share It — Thank a nursing assistant you know — or share why the role matters.Ask: what does dignity look like during personal care? Listen for specifics.
600LEARN It50EARN ItEmergency Medical Technician Pre-Apprentice
Prehospital care, scene safety and the pace of emergency response.
🏅 Emergency Medical Technician BadgeLearn It — complete all 17 lessons.Live It — Check (or build) a home first-aid kit.Share It — Make sure everyone at home knows how to call 911 and can say your address.No checkpoints in this journey — add a 3-question exit ticket of your own.
600LEARN It50EARN ItHome Care Aid and Personal Assistant
46 lessons on care delivered where people actually live.
🏅 Home Care Aid & Assistant BadgeLearn It — complete all 46 lessons and 1 checkpoints.Live It — Walk through your home and list three fall hazards.Share It — Help an older relative or neighbor fix one of them.The longest Stage 4 journey (46 lessons). Split it across two weeks.
600LEARN It50EARN ItMedical Assistant Pre-Apprentice Journey
The clinical-plus-administrative hybrid every clinic depends on.
🏅 Medical Assistant BadgeLearn It — complete all 20 lessons and 3 checkpoints.Live It — Write out a clear medication list for yourself or a family member — name, dose, how often.Share It — Show your group how you organized it.Great fit for learners who want both clinical and office work — point that out.
600LEARN It50EARN ItOccupational Therapy & OT Assistant Pre-Apprenticeship
Helping people rebuild the daily activities that make life theirs.
🏅 Occupational Therapy BadgeLearn It — complete all 17 lessons and 2 checkpoints.Live It — Try buttoning a shirt with one hand. Which daily tasks would need adapting?Share It — Share one adaptation idea with your group.Contrast OT with PT: OT = daily activities, PT = movement. Learners mix them up.
600LEARN It50EARN ItPhlebotomy Pre-Apprentice Journey
Fast to credential, always in demand — and our most-requested journey.
🏅 Phlebotomy BadgeLearn It — complete all 12 lessons and 4 checkpoints.Live It — Quiz yourself on the collection-tube colors covered in the journey.Share It — Teach the tube colors to a study partner.Our most-requested journey and fastest to credential. Connect interested learners to Phlebotomy Certification Prep.
600LEARN It50EARN ItPhysical Therapy & PT Assistant Pre-Apprenticeship
Movement, recovery and the science of getting people back on their feet.
🏅 Physical Therapy BadgeLearn It — complete all 14 lessons.Live It — Do a 10-minute stretch or mobility routine and note how you feel after.Share It — Invite a family member to do it with you.No checkpoints — close with a teach-back of one exercise and why it helps.
600LEARN It50EARN ItRadiology Technician Pre-Apprenticeship
42 lessons — our deepest journey — inside medical imaging.
🏅 Radiology Technician BadgeLearn It — complete all 42 lessons and 2 checkpoints.Live It — Write one line each on X-ray, CT, MRI and ultrasound — what each shows best.Share It — Share your four lines with your group.The deepest journey (42 lessons). Best for learners strong in science who like technology.
Check your understanding
The same three questions your learners answer.
Correct answers are highlighted in green. Passing = 2 of 3 (learners bank 25 LEARN It Coins).
- 1. Phlebotomist
- 2. Occupational therapy
- 3. Before and during transport to a hospital
Interview & Reflections
Finish by doing what professionals do: ask good questions, listen hard, and put your own plan on paper.
“Professionals love talking about their work. Ask good questions, listen hard, and you'll leave with a mentor and a plan.”
— Dr. RobBy the end of this stage you can…
- Find and request an informational interview
- Run the conversation with prepared questions
- Send a thank-you and follow up
- Write your own next-step career plan
How: Complete Stage 5 and write up your interview reflection. Conducted a real informational interview and turned it into a written next-step plan.
- Line up interviewees early; aim for one per learner (a small panel works too).
- Minors: virtual or supervised public settings only, with guardian approval.
- Collect the Interview Planner and Career Plan pages as the capstone portfolio.
- Discussion: What is one thing your interviewee said that changed your plan?
500LEARN It50EARN ItInterviewing a Professional
Land the informational interview, run it well, and turn it into a next step.
🏅 Professional Interview BadgeLearn It — complete all 7 lessons and 5 checkpoints.Live It — Request your informational interview this week.Share It — Send a thank-you note within a day of the conversation.Line up interviewees early. For minors: virtual or supervised public settings, with guardian approval.
How: Complete Stage 5 and write up your interview reflection. Conducted a real informational interview and turned it into a written next-step plan.
Interview Planner
Plan it, run it, thank them. This page is your Stage 5 evidence.
Questions to bring
- What does a normal day look like for you?
- How did you get started, and what training did you need?
- What do you wish you had known at my age / stage?
- What skills matter most in your role?
- What is the hardest part of the job — and the best part?
- Who else should I talk to?
- Minors: virtual or supervised public settings only, with guardian approval.
- 30 minutes is plenty. Learners confirm the time the day before.
- The written reflection is the Stage 5 evidence — collect it before signing the Professional Voice Credential.
My Career Plan
Put it on paper. This is what you hand an apprenticeship sponsor or employer.
My Microcredentials
Walk learners through this page — it updates live on their devices.
This tracker shares progress with the Pre-Apprentice landing page and Academy on this device. Sign in and your coins post to your Force Field ledger.
From pathway to paycheck
🏥 Registered apprenticeship
Pre-Apprentice Certified learners are ready to be matched to a registered healthcare apprenticeship or an entry-level role through our workforce partners.
Healthcare Workforce ↗🧪 Go deeper in one career
Chose phlebotomy? Continue straight into Phlebotomy Certification Prep and the Berry Best eNotebook.
Certification Prep ↗📚 Keep learning
Every journey lives in the 360° Academy Course Library, tagged Pre-Apprentice.
Course Library ↗🤝 Share It
Bring a friend onto the pathway. Every learner you recruit makes the pipeline stronger — and earns SHARE It Coins.
Pathway page ↗- Sign each Stage Credential sheet, then verify the Program Credential.
- Send the one-pager to employers and funders with your cohort’s results.
- Log completions in the Badge Award Log.
Running a cohort
Your role
- Set the pace and keep the cohort together through Stages 1–3
- Verify prerequisites and sign Stage Credentials
- Recruit interviewees for Stage 5
- Report results to partners and funders
Five house rules
- Learn It · Live It · Share It — every week, all three
- Celebrate every badge out loud
- Privacy first: no patient stories with identifying details
- Stages 1–3 in order; Stage 4 by choice
- No learner leaves without a written plan
A typical 60-minute session
| 0–10 | Check-in and badge shout-outs (open the tracker page) |
| 10–35 | Lessons — individually or projected, with pauses at each checkpoint |
| 35–50 | Live It activity or role-play from this week’s coach tip |
| 50–60 | Share It + reflection; mark journeys complete together |
“Your learners will remember how the cohort felt long before they remember the lesson titles. Make every badge a moment.”
— Coach Lucy · CEO, The Force for Health® NetworkPacing Planner
Pick a format and a start date — the calendar fills itself in.
| Stage | When | Focus & milestone |
|---|
Dates fill in when you pick a first session. Week zero (before Stage 1) is for confirming New Member Basics, VIVA and Health BASICS.
Cohort Roster
Track prerequisites and credentials for your whole group.
| Learner (0) | NMB | VIVA | HB | S1 | S2 | S3 | S4 | S5 | 🎓 |
|---|
NMB · VIVA · HB = prerequisites confirmed. S1–S5 = Stage Credentials signed. 🎓 = Pre-Apprentice Certified. The roster stays on this device only — use first name + last initial.
Roster Sheet
Cohort: ______________________ Group Leader: ______________________ Start date: ____________
| Learner | NMB | VIVA | HB | S1 | S2 | S3 | S4 | S5 | 🎓 | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Credential Sign-Off
One block per learner, per credential.
| Learner: ______________________________ | Date: _______________ |
| Group Leader signature: ____________________ | Verified on platform: ☐ Yes |
| Learner: ______________________________ | Date: _______________ |
| Group Leader signature: ____________________ | Verified on platform: ☐ Yes |
| Learner: ______________________________ | Date: _______________ |
| Group Leader signature: ____________________ | Verified on platform: ☐ Yes |
Credential Sign-Off
Stages 4–5 and the Program Credential.
| Learner: ______________________________ | Date: _______________ |
| Group Leader signature: ____________________ | Verified on platform: ☐ Yes |
| Learner: ______________________________ | Date: _______________ |
| Group Leader signature: ____________________ | Verified on platform: ☐ Yes |
| Learner: ______________________________ | Date: _______________ |
| Group Leader signature: ____________________ | Verified on platform: ☐ Yes |
Badge Award Log
| Learner | Badge / credential | Date | Coins | Initials |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Answer Keys
- A patient at the front desk is upset about a long wait. What is the best first step? — Listen, acknowledge their frustration, and explain what you can do
- Which of these is a non-clinical healthcare role? — Medical biller
- Good body mechanics when lifting means… — Bend your knees, keep the load close, and avoid twisting
- HIPAA mainly protects… — Individually identifiable health information about patients
- The single most important way to prevent the spread of infection is… — Hand hygiene
- Which federal agency sets and enforces workplace safety standards? — OSHA
- Which statement about healthcare careers is true? — Many roles can be started with a certificate or short program
- Phlebotomists and radiologic technologists both work in… — Diagnostic services
- A career self-assessment is most useful for… — Matching your strengths and interests to career families
- Which role mainly collects blood samples for testing? — Phlebotomist
- Helping someone relearn daily activities like dressing and cooking is the focus of… — Occupational therapy
- EMTs primarily provide care… — Before and during transport to a hospital
Stage 5 has no quiz — the Interview Planner and written reflection are the evidence.
Your healthcare career starts with one lesson.
Free, self-paced and open to everyone who has earned New Member Basics, VIVA and Health BASICS.
The Force for Health® Network · Learn It · Live It · Share It™ · Hosted by Dr. Rob Gillio, MD
© 2026 The Force for Health® Network. All rights reserved.