NHHF Recruitment and Retention Diverse Public Health Workforce Program 

The National Hispanic Health Foundation (NHHF) has received a multi-year grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to develop a program to diversify the public health workforce. The NHHF-Recruitment and Retention Diverse Public Health Workforce Program (RRDPHWP) will design and test a new approach to attract and retain public health professionals from different racial and ethnic backgrounds. The program's expected outcome is to increase awareness of the need for diversity in public health and to create best practices/tools for achieving it. According to existing literature, a diverse public health workforce can help reduce health disparities and promote health equity.

The program will carry out the following activities to accomplish its goals:

  1. Form an advisory committee, in collaboration with CDC, on best practices for recruitment and retention;
  2. Conduct an environmental scan to identify best practices and barriers in recruitment and selection processes;
  3. Develop a "Call to Action Recruitment Awareness Campaign" to raise awareness of public health careers among diverse populations;
  4. Implement and evaluate a national recruitment strategy for governmental jobs in public health; and
  5. Coordinate and support national retention and progression strategy implementation to maintain and advance a diverse public health workforce that reflects the country's racial and ethnic diversity.
Listening Session Recruitment Flyer (PDF)

Listening Session - Group 1 - June 30

This listening session seeks to better understand what motivates students to pursue a career in public health, how students learn about public health job opportunities, and the factors that make finding and keeping a public health job more accessible and/or more challenging.

This discussion lasted approximately 90 minutes, and was held via zoom.

Additionally, all participants worked or resided in the following states: AL, AZ, AR, CA, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NV, NM, NC, OK, SC, TN, and TX

Listening Session - Group 2 - July 25

This session aims to explore how Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) can help students discover public health careers and provide them with the support they need to succeed as minority graduates.

This discussion lasted approximately 90 minutes and was held via zoom.

Listening Session - Group 3 - July 27

This session seeks to hear about the challenges and successes in recruiting and retaining Black, Latine, and Indigenous public health students and alumni for governmental public health jobs. 

This discussion lasted approximately 90 minutes and was held via zoom.

Student and Recent Graduate Opportunities

HHS Webinar: Exploring Careers at HHS- The HHS Assistant Secretary for Administration’s Office of Human Resources is hosting a free, informational webinar on exploring careers at HHS on March 20, 2024, 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET. The event is geared toward everyone interested in starting a new position with HHS, including current federal employees both within and outside of HHS. Learn more about all the career opportunities that HHS has to offer, hear directly from HHS's Corporate Recruitment Program Team, ask your questions, and discover opportunities to help you find your next career with HHS. Use this link to register. 

Federal Internship Portal: This site features paid Pathways Internships and unpaid student volunteer roles at federal agencies. New opportunities are regularly posted. 

White House Internships: For the first time in history, the White House now offers paid internships in Washington, D.C. Learn more using the link above and spread the word to your peers. 

Virtual Student Federal Service Internships: This program matches students to federal agencies for remote/online part-time internships.

Pathways Recent Graduate Positions: These positions are designed for applicants who graduated within the past two years from a post secondary institution, including undergraduate and graduate programs. Go to USAJOBs website and write "Recent Graduates" in the search bar to view these roles. 

Presidential Management Fellows Program: Current Graduate students or recent graduate students (within two years of graduation) are encouraged to apply for the PMF Program, the federal government's flagship leadership development program for advanced degree holders. Fellows serve a two year, full time, paid fellowship at a federal agency. 

Advisory Committee

The Advisory Committee (AC) comprises twelve subject matter experts from a cross-section of public health academic programs, public health associations, and diversity inclusion professionals. AC members will provide feedback on various program components, including best practices and barriers to recruiting and retaining a racially and ethnically diverse public health workforce. The AC will meet virtually every quarter.

Advisory Committee Contact List

 

For any questions or inquires, please contact the following NHHF Staff: