State Announces Health Care Apprenticeship Program Funding

April 10, 2023

The Shapiro administration today announced the next round of funding for the Nursing Pathway Apprenticeship Industry Partnership program.

The program focuses on supporting the health care workforce in communities affected by COVID-19 through an “earn-as-you-learn” apprenticeship career model. State officials said nearly $504,000 is available in the next round of funding.

"Pennsylvania's (health care) industry continues to face significant and ongoing challenges, particularly with an unprecedented shortage of nurses," Nancy Walker, acting secretary for the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry, said in a statement.

Here’s what you need to know:

• About:  Through the grant program, workforce development boards and community partners create, manage, and maintain nursing apprenticeships and industry partnership programs.
  • The program, funded by the American Rescue Plan Act, seeks to create pathways for people interested in becoming home health aides, certified nursing assistants, and licensed practical nurses in communities most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Application deadline:  May 10, 2023.
• Award amounts:  Competitive grants up to $250,000 will be awarded per application for programs with a single-county or local reach; $350,000 will be awarded for programs with a statewide or multi-county reach.
• A clear need:  A recent HAP survey about Pennsylvania’s workforce challenges found that vacancy rates of nearly 31 percent for registered nurses providing direct patient care and about 32 percent for nursing support staff.
• Quotable:  "This grant program is a commonsense solution to not only help address critical workforce shortages, but it will help create equitable access to opportunities that build meaningful careers and contribute to a strong economy, while eliminating barriers to quality, family-sustaining employment," Walker said.

Additional information about the Pennsylvania Nursing Pathway Apprenticeship Industry Partnership grant availability is available online.

Led by its Health Care Talent Task Force, HAP has developed comprehensive policy recommendations to serve as a roadmap to grow and support Pennsylvania’s health care workforce. Learn more about our workforce roadmap online.