Search | Menu Four New Healthcare Apprenticeships Aim to Help Workforce Issues
Madison College has a key role to play in finding a solution for the healthcare workforce shortages impacting Wisconsin and the rest of the country.
The college is addressing the problem in a variety of creative ways, including a series of new healthcare apprenticeships in partnership with employers and the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD). These include:
- An Ophthalmic Assistant apprenticeship program in partnership with SSM Health
- A Registered Nurse (RN) apprenticeship program in partnership with UW Health
- A Lab Animal Care Technician Apprenticeship in partnership with LabCorp
- A Respiratory Therapy Apprenticeship in partnership with UW Health
In 1911, Wisconsin was the first state to codify apprenticeships into law, serving as model for other states and the federal government and since then, apprenticeships have become commonplace in the skilled trades sector. Healthcare apprenticeships are a more recent construct as employers, states and educational partners collaborate to solve critical shortages. In fact, Madison College’s RN apprenticeship with UW Health was one of the first nursing apprenticeship programs in the nation when it enrolled its first cohort in August 2023.
The Power of Partnership
A hallmark of Madison College’s healthcare apprenticeships is a close collaboration with a sponsoring industry partner. The individual programs are built based on a specific need from an employer. For SSM Health, it is a way to ensure well-trained ophthalmic assistants. For UW Health, it is RNs and respiratory therapists.
UW Health was experiencing a nursing shortage when it collaborated with Madison College and DWD on the apprenticeship program to train and elevate existing staff with promise and interest in pursuing their RN licensure. Without innovative solutions, like apprenticeship, Wisconsin faces a potential deficit of 20,000 nurses by 2040.
“A sustainable talent pipeline of skilled nurses is fundamental to our health and the future of our healthcare system,” said DWD Secretary Amy Pechacek. “The RN apprenticeship pathway expands opportunities to bring more people into the field. DWD remains committed to working with business leaders to develop apprenticeship programs that align with industry needs today and in the future.”
As part of the apprenticeship program, Madison College's faculty provides all the classroom instruction, including two years of prerequisite coursework and two years of core nursing-specific courses.
“We are excited about the nursing apprenticeship program and its unique approach. It's a benefit to both Madison College and UW Health, addressing workforce needs in creative ways. It's a marathon, and we're here to support our industry partners for the long run,” said Dr. Kerri Kliminski, dean of the School of Nursing at Madison College.
Providing Access to Education and Jobs
Madison College has a strong tradition of educating an essential, exceptional, and diverse healthcare workforce in an ever-changing industry. Apprenticeships serve as an innovative solution for the recruitment of already dedicated workers who would otherwise struggle to access higher education and the dream of achieving their degree.
“The constant juggle between academic commitments and financial responsibilities can be overwhelming, but this program allows me to concentrate on my studies without the constant worry of bills,” said Grant Voltz, one of 16 nursing apprentices in the first student cohort. “Participating in a program that offered free education and matched my current nursing assistant wage while paving the way for me to become a registered nurse without accumulating any debt, was an undeniable and clear choice.”
“The apprenticeship model holds a lot of promise in alleviating some workforce needs. It helps folks pursue an education who wouldn't have the financial resources or who need family sustaining jobs and insurance benefits while doing so,” said Kevin Foley, associate dean of nursing at Madison College. “It solves a lot of problems for employees who wouldn't be able to move forward without that structure, but it's also a benefit to the employer and their employee retention efforts.”
Beyond Nursing
The second cohort of the RN program will begin in August 2024, the same time the respiratory therapy apprenticeship program kicks off. As with nursing, respiratory therapists are in demand, and UW Health again saw an opportunity to partner with Madison College’s already existing Respiratory Therapy program to ensure a future pipeline of trained therapists.
SSM Health, another leading healthcare provider in the state, turned to Madison College for solutions to fill its ophthalmic assistant needs. In October 2023, four ophthalmic assistants in training became the first group of registered apprentices in Wisconsin.
For the first nine months of the program, apprentices receive related classroom instruction at Madison College while also doing paid on-the-job clinical training at SSM Health’s eye care clinics. After the students complete their classroom work, they will continue with their on-the-job clinical training for an additional nine months.
SSM Health covers the students’ salary and benefits, educational costs, materials and the required certified ophthalmic assistant exam. Upon successful completion of the apprenticeship, the students will work as ophthalmic assistants with SSM Health for a minimum of two years.
“Training programs and apprenticeships like this are critical to the future success of our state’s healthcare workforce,” says Sue Anderson, SSM Health Wisconsin regional president. “I hope that by removing some of the financial barriers to education and investing in these students and future healthcare workers, we are able to make healthcare careers more accessible to individuals who feel called to this work.”
Finally, the lab animal care technician apprenticeship program was borne of a partnership and need from research organization LabCorp. Industry projections anticipate 1,477 annual openings in the field within the Madison College district over the next five years.
Like the other healthcare apprenticeships, this program starts with general education credits and includes on-the-job training at LabCorp over 18 months.
Apprenticeships Are One Pathway
While apprenticeships like the ones described above are a novel way of training and retaining healthcare workers during an era of labor shortages, they are but one tool in the toolbox that Madison College uses when working with industry partners.
“Additionally, we work with some industry partners on customized trainings and others who opt for ‘third-party pay,’ where they pay for their employees to attend Madison College to get their gen eds and enter a specific healthcare program that we have in place,” said Marsha Tweedy vice president, academic affairs at Madison College. “We fully support both options. It comes down to what works best for the industry partner.”
Madison College President Dr. Jack E. Daniels III echoed the need for creative solutions and close collaboration with healthcare industry partners. “There has never been a more critical time to be innovative, forward-thinking, and committed to ensuring that those aspiring to become healthcare workers have both a pathway and a partner in getting there. Madison College is that partner, and we stand ready to provide that path.”
As the college looks to the future, there may be more healthcare apprenticeships or an expansion of existing apprenticeships – only time will tell. But one thing is certain. When industry partners come to Madison College to help solve talent development issues, the school will respond with innovative solutions.
