Pennsylvania Creates Home Care Apprenticeship Program
Kathleen Kleinmann, CEO of TRPIL and a licensed home care provider, said the CNA apprentices "will gain invaluable hand-on training and the skills needed to provide quality community support services to consumers in a home care setting. This training will help our nurses to safely perform their job duties and provide people with disabilities with a vital service to help them transition from care facilities to living independently in their homes."
The Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry has approved an apprenticeship program, the Certified Nursing Assistant in a Home Care Setting apprenticeship, to help individuals with disabilities by providing competent personal care and promoting healthy living and safe environments in homes and communities. The program is a partnership between Transitional Paths to Independent Living (TRPIL) Community Services, the Fayette County Career and Technical Institute, and SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania, according to the department's announcement.
L&I Deputy Secretary for Workforce Development Eileen Cipriani announced approval of it after she joined Department of Aging Quality and Compliance Specialist Michelle Glidden for a "Jobs that Pay" tour at TRPIL in Washington, Pa. "The Wolf Administration supports the growth and expansion of apprenticeship programs as a tool to create a pool of high-skilled, qualified talent for employers," Cipriani said. "The apprentices we met today have a unique opportunity to train in a home-care setting and gain valuable hands-on experience that will provide them with the necessary skill set to meet the regional employment needs of employers upon program completion."
The Wolf Administration established the Apprenticeship and Training Office last year to support and expand apprenticeships. Programs registered through the office provide employer-driven training; job seekers obtain valuable skills and a nationally recognized credential. Since the office was created, 2,606 new apprentices and 77 new registered apprenticeship occupations statewide have been created.
"Direct care workers of any kind are the hands, the voice, and the face of long-term care for many older Pennsylvanians and persons with disabilities who rely upon this particular workforce in order to live and age well in their homes and communities," said Secretary of Aging Teresa Osborne. "The Wolf Administration is committed to supporting partnerships like this so that we can create opportunities for Pennsylvanians to receive the training and support needed to either further their career path or reenter the workforce."
Kathleen Kleinmann, CEO of TRPIL and a licensed home care provider, said the CNA apprentices "will gain invaluable hand-on training and the skills needed to provide quality community support services to consumers in a home care setting. This training will help our nurses to safely perform their job duties and provide people with disabilities with a vital service to help them transition from care facilities to living independently in their homes."