EAST PROVIDENCE – University Medicine has launched an apprenticeship program at Community College of Rhode Island for medical assistants employed by the medical group aspiring to become licensed practical nurses, the first of its kind in the U.S.
The program is the result of a collaborative effort initiated by University Medicine with CCRI and Building Futures/Apprenticeship Rhode Island, according to Elisabeth N. Galligan, spokesperson for University Medicine.
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The program’s creation was funded by a $24,939 “nontraditional apprenticeship development” grant to CCRI from the Governor’s Workforce Board. The planning grant funded the design of the program and creation of the curriculum for the LPN classes, and meetings to design the elements of the apprenticeship program over the course of three months, Galligan said.
In 2015, Rhode Island was awarded separate U.S. Department of Labor grants of $5.2 million and $3 million to promote the governor’s workforce-development strategy.
The grant does not pay for the cost of the classes themselves.
“University Medicine’s program marks the first time an apprenticeship is tied to an LPN curriculum in the nation,” said Dr. Louis B. Rice, president and CEO of University Medicine. “No other program like this for LPNs exists – the closest apprenticeship program model can be found in England. It is also groundbreaking for CCRI to offer such a customized program on-site to meet the specific needs of our employees. We are grateful for this highly collaborative effort that results in significant career growth opportunity for our staff.”
University Medicine’s LPN Apprenticeship Program trains medical assistants on staff who are interested in pursuing careers as licensed practical nurses. The Governor’s Workforce Board grant provided CCRI with funding for a three-month collaboration with UM to design the LPN curriculum around an apprenticeship model. CCRI staff assess the level of academic readiness for program candidates and identify required courses needed to successfully enter the Practical Nursing Program at CCRI. This year, courses such as math and biology were delivered on-site at the UM Patient Center at 375 Wampanoag Trail in East Providence, and on-site advisers provided assistance with entrance placement testing and the application process. A customized schedule for the courses was developed so the employees could conveniently take classes at times that least impacted their professional duties at UM.
“We are seeing employers eager to have academic opportunities to offer to their employees,” said CCRI VP of Academic Affairs Rosemary Castigan. “University Medicine’s program is a great example of a partnership between the academic side and workforce-development side of CCRI, delivering college services to employees in a way that is very specific and respectful of their work time, and creating a deeper connection with the employer. This is not just about offering a standard course or training on-site, which we have done in the past, rather this is tailoring our course schedules and bringing placement testing and adviser services on-site to work directly with the individual students, to fully prepare them to enter the LPN program. For a CNA or a medical assistant, it is the natural next step in their career.”
After the course curriculum was developed, ARI worked with UM to design and develop the apprenticeship phase of the program, acting as intermediary between the state for registering the apprenticeship and assisting with required paperwork. Four UM employees have been accepted into the LPN apprenticeship program. “Once the UM employees enter the nine-month Apprenticeship Program, they can continue working a reduced schedule,” said Rice. “Although the curriculum time frame was customized for our employees, the content and rigor of the program remains unchanged and is exactly what a non-UM employee would go through if they were enrolled in CCRI’s LPN program on a full-time basis. Together with our program partners, we’ve identified the skills and competencies needed in order to become competent, full-fledged LPNs. What makes our program unique is that they will spend a year on the job learning as an apprentice. It is paid employment and not a temporary internship or clinical rotation experience in a purely academic context.”
“Apprenticeship in the health care sector makes sense,” said Andrew Cortés, executive director of Building Futures, the home of Apprenticeship RI. “University Medicine is a great example, using apprenticeship to up-skill medical assistants to become licensed practical nurses through an innovative partnership with us and the Community College of RI. Standardizing the skill levels of these critically important caregivers ensures that everyone wins.”
Rob Borkowski is a PBN staff writer. Email him at Borkowksi@PBN.com.
