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Hire Local helps Memphians become nurses, paramedics — tuition-free

By , Daily Memphian Updated: July 14, 2025 8:03 PM CT | Published: July 14, 2025 4:00 AM CT

Jarvis Watkins dreams of being a firefighter, and thanks to a local training program, he is on his way to achieving that goal.

The 25-year-old former forklift operator began a course at the University of Memphis that will have him certified as an emergency medical technician by year-end. 

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Aisling Mäki

Aisling Mäki

Aisling Mäki covers health care, banking and finance, technology and professions. After launching her career in news two decades ago, she worked in public relations for almost a decade before returning to journalism in 2022.

As a health care reporter, she’s collaborated with The Carter Center, earned awards from the Associated Press and Society of Professional Journalists and won a 2024 Tennessee Press Association first-place prize for her series on discrepancies in Shelby County life expectancy by ZIP code.


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