Show-Me State Times

A program through the Missouri Chamber Foundation aims to address the increasing demand for healthcare workers. The Industry-Driven Healthcare Apprenticeship Program, launched in January 2023 with a $3 million American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) grant and $1.35 million federal appropriation, has shown significant progress.

Participating healthcare systems include BJC HealthCare, CoxHealth, Hannibal Regional Healthcare System, Jordan Valley Community Health Center, Mercy, and University Health.

In their September report, these providers announced several new apprenticeship programs initiated with the grant funds:

- BJC starting an EMT apprenticeship

- CoxHealth starting phlebotomist and pharmacy technician apprenticeships

- Hannibal Regional starting a phlebotomist apprenticeship

- Mercy starting a surgical technologist apprenticeship

Existing programs are also seeing success. Jordan Valley reported a 90% pass rate for its last dental assistant cohort.

Employers involved in the program will receive $2,000 for each apprentice they train in roles such as medical assistant, pharmacy technician, phlebotomist technician, medical coder, dental assistant, EMT, sterile processing technician, graduate nurse resident, and patient care technician.

The program aims to train over 1,500 apprentices by January 2026 and transition over 95% of those trained into permanent full-time employees. Another key objective is to cultivate a diverse workforce by engaging people from various backgrounds including people of color, unemployed individuals, disabled individuals, and veteran workers.

To learn more about the Industry-Driven Healthcare Apprenticeship Program, click here.

"Disclaimer: This product is being supported in whole or in part by federal award numbers SLFRP 4542 awarded to the State of Missouri by the U.S. Department of Treasury."