The COVID-19 pandemic clearly illustrated the need for a well-trained and versatile public health workforce. To respond, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) partnered to develop and launch the California Pathways into Public Health Initiative (initially launched as the California Public Health Corps or CA-PHC) in summer 2021 as a pilot program. The California Pathways into Public Health Initiative (Cal-PPH) is an innovative program that provides training, hands-on work experience, and ongoing support from the program team comprised of public health professionals from the partner agencies.