Colorado seeks 5,000 adults for health care apprenticeships
Colorado will soon be 5,000 health care apprenticeships richer after receiving $12 million from the U.S. Department of Labor.
The program, announced by Gov. Jared Polis on Wednesday, is hoping to enroll 5,000 adults, ages 18 and older, into paid apprenticeships in the health care field.
No details were revealed as to how interested people can apply for the apprenticeships.
“In this ‘earn while you learn’ model, individuals will earn college credit, make a livable wage and gain valuable work experience, reducing out-of-pocket costs for education and the time required to earn a credential,” the governor’s office said in a news release.
Health care partners across the state also are kicking in $4.2 million in matching funds to get the ball rolling.
The Colorado Department of Higher Education is partnering with the Colorado Community College System and health care groups including Kaiser Permanente, Centura Health, HealthOne/HCA, UCHealth and Colorado Rural Health Center.
“At CCCS we’ve made a pledge to Colorado to keep tuition low, quality high and to deliver skilled workers to an ever-changing workforce,” said Joe Garcia, chancellor of the Colorado Community College System.
“We are excited to partner with CDHE and several innovative health care providers in pursuit of this grant to scale health care apprenticeships throughout the state and across the nation.”
The program is a part of a national effort to create 23 private-public apprenticeships in key industry sectors such as information technology and manufacturing.
Health care contributes to one in three job openings in Colorado, according to a 2016 study referenced in the governor’s news release.
From 2012 to 2017, Denver added 43,250 health care jobs to its existing 222,700 workers, representing 10 percent of the total job growth in the region, according to the news release.
“As the job market continues growing and changing, we must ensure that our workforce is prepared,” Polis said in a statement. “This grant allows us to provide skills-based training for 5,000 Coloradans, while expanding access to critical jobs in the health care industry that can help save people money on health care.”