Enduring partnership has supported hundreds of graduates entering the workforce

/PRNewswire/ - Concorde Career Colleges and PDS Health Foundation have reached a key milestone in their enduring partnership: $1 million in tuition support for Concorde students across the last decade via the Dr. Carolyn Ghazal Dental Assistant Scholarship program. The collaboration is bolstering the oral health workforce pipeline while opening career paths for future dental assistants.

"We appreciate the PDS Health Foundation's continued commitment to our students. This $1 million achievement extends benefits past individual learners and families to the many patients they will serve in communities throughout their careers," said Kevin Prehn, President of Concorde Career Colleges. "Strong educator-employer ties like the one with PDS Health and its foundation drive Concorde's results in graduation, job placement and licensure exams. I look forward to further successes together in the coming years."

Launched in 2016, the PDS Health Foundation's Dr. Carolyn Ghazal Dental Assistant Scholarship program has directed more than $2 million toward dental assistant training nationwide. This includes tuition aid, mentoring and practical experience at over 120 schools.

"Financial hurdles remain the main obstacle preventing dental assistant students from finishing their studies and joining the profession," said Carli Casey, Executive Director of the PDS Health Foundation. "Removing that obstacle gives students the focus needed to excel and advance. This milestone with Concorde shows the impact of aligned organizations dedicated to student achievement."

Concorde's ties with PDS Health extend more than 20 years. Starting with externship placements in California, the alliance has expanded to include student guidance, practical training, workforce initiatives and scholarship support. Grounded in clinical quality and patient-focused care, the partnership has equipped hundreds of dental assistant graduates for employment.

In the past three years, PDS Health has aided an average of 109 Concorde students each year with externships. Roughly 60 percent of those completing externships at PDS Health-supported sites secured positions after finishing their programs.

"Concorde students gain an advantage from externships at PDS Health practices due to the solid clinical base from Concorde instructors," said Rosalinda Olague, Director of School Relations and Dental Assistant Programs at PDS Health. "Our teams then expand that base with direct patient care, advanced tools and a team setting centered on excellence."

Ralph Villacorta, a Concorde-San Antonio alumnus awarded the Dr. Carolyn Ghazal Dental Assistant Scholarship in 2020, now serves as Specialty Lead Dental Assistant for PDS Health's Austin-San Antonio Region.

"The Dr. Carolyn Ghazal Dental Assistant Scholarship transformed my path financially and personally. Being chosen among many applicants was motivating and confirmed I was on the right track," said Villacorta.

After graduation, Villacorta began at PDS Health as a traveling orthodontic dental assistant and joined a humanitarian mission to Guatemala while pursuing further growth.

"Concorde equipped me to start my career confidently, and PDS Health kept investing in my progress," said Villacorta. "Serving today as a specialty lead dental assistant lets me care for patients while advancing professionally."

About Concorde Career Colleges

Concorde Career Colleges, the healthcare division of Universal Technical Institute, Inc. (NYSE: UTI), prepares future health care professionals for in-demand roles in nursing, dental, respiratory, diagnostic and allied health fields. Through targeted partnerships, Concorde delivers workforce solutions for major dental and healthcare systems. It runs 18 campuses in eight states plus online programs under Concorde Career College and Concorde Career Institute. These are accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges and the Council on Occupational Education.

About PDS Health Foundation

The PDS Health Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit focused on improving health through local, national and international service. It supplies resources for sustainable community impact and volunteer support. Its vision is a world with universal access to oral health care. Key efforts include special needs dentistry, dental assistant scholarships and international service trips that expand oral health access globally.

About PDS Health

PDS Health builds on the foundation started by Pacific Dental Services in 1994, aiming to integrate dental and medical services. Its model links oral health to overall wellness to benefit patients and advance industry standards. As a major healthcare support provider, it offers services to dental, specialty and medical practices across the U.S.

Media Contact: Sharon Rolenc 612-720-2083

SOURCE Concorde Career Colleges