Maryland hospital, SEIU join forces to create apprenticeship program

An apprenticeship program is in the works at University of Maryland Medical Center Midtown Campus in Baltimore, according to a Baltimore Business Journal report.

The hospital and 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, the union representing healthcare workers, are collaborating on the initiative. The program aims to train entry-level hospital employees working in areas such as food service and transportation to receive their Certified Nursing Assistant certifications, according to the report.

Funding for the initiative comes from the Maryland Department of Labor's Apprenticeship Innovation Fund and a New York City-based national labor/management organization called the Health Career Advancement Program. The former organization is providing $50,000 and the latter is providing an additional $20,000, the report states.

The initial goal of the apprenticeship program is to help 15 entry-level workers — in jobs like food service, transportation and janitorial work — to become CNAs. The hospital and union also hope to help three to five current CNAs move into patient care technician roles, reports the Baltimore Business Journal.

"When you think of apprenticeship training, many people think of workers in hard hats, not in scrubs," Donald Ray, vice president of operations at UMMC Midtown, said in a statement cited by the publication. "But that is changing. Today, hospitals across the country are taking advantage of innovative apprenticeship programs to enhance their recruitment and retention plans in an industry facing staff shortages."

 

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