The Revival of the Modern Apprenticeship While apprenticeships boomed in fields like manufacturing and construction after World War II, the model fell out of favor in many industries over recent decades. Now it’s making a comeback, especially in healthcare roles facing critical labor gaps.
CVS Health, one of the nation’s largest employers of apprentices, has registered apprenticeship programs preparing current staff for pharmacy technician, consultant pharmacy sales, and management roles. Over 35% of participants are upskilled from entry-level retail positions.
“Apprenticeships are a powerful talent development strategy,” said Melissa Burt, CVS’s Director of Workforce Strategies. “We can build a robust pipeline while rewarding employees’ dedication with clear career pathways.”
Structural Supports Along the Way A novel program in Washington State, the first ever multi-union, multi-employer healthcare training partnership known as the Health Care Apprenticeship Consortium, utilizes additional supportive resources to increasingly ensure participant success. Additional resources to support paying an electrical bill, ensuring food is in the fridge or that a loaned laptop and portable WiFi device are sent directly to the home address of a participant eliminates common barriers that would otherwise have someone drop out of the program.
Blending On-Site Mentorship with Academics What sets modern apprenticeships apart is the blending of structured on-the-job training under an experienced mentor alongside academic coursework from a partner college or university, and the value of a mentor in any role cannot be understated.
Recent high school graduates aren’t the typical apprentice profile anymore either. At Northwell Health in New York, their “RN Apprentice” program upskills current staff like emergency medical technicians into fully-accredited registered nursing roles.
“Our apprentices get hands-on coaching from a preceptor several days per week, then take online nursing classes to satisfy the degree requirements,” explained Northwell’s Chief Nursing Officer Jacqueline Marotta, DNP, RN. “It’s an accelerated, cost-effective pathway to developing skilled RN talent from within our ranks.”
Facilitating Local Workforce Development Beyond internal upskilling, many apprenticeship partnerships are creating launchpads for local community members to access healthcare careers as well. Over 200 apprentices from nearby underserved areas have joined the University of Maryland Medical Center’s free apprenticeship programs for patient care technicians, medical assistants and other entry-level roles.
“If you live in West Baltimore and don’t have funds for college, an apprenticeship can be a life-changing opportunity,” said Erin Butnor, Director of Workforce Development at UMMC. “We’re developing homegrown healthcare talent that actually reflects the communities we serve.”
As the industry continues facing increasingly complex workforce challenges, the apprenticeship model’s structure and partnership approach is emerging as a powerful solution for upskilling organizations’ existing talent pipelines from the ground up.
Sources CVS Health Apprenticeship Programs – https://cvshealth.com/news-and-insights/articles/cvs-health-launches-new-apprenticeship-programs
Northwell Health RN Apprentice Program – https://www.northwell.edu/education-and-resources/continuing-education-program/rn-apprentice
University of Maryland Medical Center Healthcare Apprenticeships – https://www.umaryland.edu/news/archived-news/october-2020/newspressreleaseshell.php/d96ec2d92fe46ce/ummc-and-baltimore-alliance-for-careers-in-healthcare-launch-first-workforce-apprenticeship-for-patient-care-tech.aspx
General Overview of Healthcare Apprenticeships – https://www1.miami.edu/news/stories/2022/01/how-apprenticeships-can-help-address-health-care-labor-shortages.html
Health Care Apprenticeship Consortium – https://healthcareapprenticeship.org/
