Apprenticeship TN facilitates partnership for new CNA program
Nashville General Hospital starts Certified Nursing Assistant Apprenticeship Program
Executive leaders from both Nashville General Hospital and TriStar Health officially signed documents for their public-private apprenticeship partnership Friday, April 9, 2021. From left are: (front) Mitch Edgeworth and Craig Shephard; and (back) Bryan Sisk, Ferrol Thomas, Dr. Joseph Webb, Charlene Russell, and Dr. Rubin Cockrell.
NASHVILLE – Registered Apprenticeships are a learn-while-you-earn workforce development model that allows employers in Tennessee to build a direct talent pipeline for their businesses. Apprenticeship TN recently assisted stakeholders to help facilitate a new Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP) at Nashville General Hospital School of Health Sciences (NGH).
The United States Department of Labor (USDOL) awarded NGH a national certificate for its RAP which includes the following occupations: Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA) and EKG Technicians.
To establish an RAP, a sponsor, a training provider, and an employer must be in place. Charlene Russell, Middle Tennessee Director for Apprenticeship TN, worked with NGH and Tri-Star Health, the program's first approved employer, to draft a partnership agreement and complete the registration paperwork.
The application process took several months to finish. Russell assisted with forming the on-the-job learning (OJL) and related technical instruction (RTI) for the occupations of CNA and EKG Technicians. Apprenticeship TN submitted the program application to USDOL on behalf of all the stakeholders.
“The Apprenticeship TN directors work closely with our partners in business and industry to help create unique Registered Apprenticeship Programs for in-demand occupations,” said Deniece Thomas, Deputy Commissioner for the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development. “Our goal is to continue to foster these partnerships to expand the number of Registered Apprenticeship Programs across the state.”
Apprenticeship TN’s ability to cultivate partnerships between training providers and employers is key to the success of an RAP.
“We are excited to partner with TriStar Health, the region’s largest healthcare provider company. As an approved apprenticeship employer, TriStar Health has funding to provide a jump-start to those in our community who want to enter the healthcare field,” said Rubin Cockrell, Ed.D., NGH’s Program and Community Outreach Coordinator. “Through Nashville General Hospital’s School of Health Sciences workforce development program, we can help meet the demands of future healthcare jobs.”
Executive leaders from both Nashville General Hospital and TriStar Health officially signed documents for their public-private apprenticeship partnership Friday, April 9, 2021.
For more information regarding the process of starting a Registered Apprenticeship Program or becoming an apprentice, visit www.ApprenticeshipTN.com.
Executive leaders from both Nashville General Hospital and TriStar Health officially signed documents for their public-private apprenticeship partnership Friday, April 9, 2021. From left are: (front) Mitch Edgeworth and Craig Shephard; and (back) Bryan Sisk, Ferrol Thomas, Dr. Joseph Webb, Charlene Russell, and Dr. Rubin Cockrell. Apprenticeship TN recently assisted stakeholders to help facilitate a new Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP) at Nashville General Hospital School of Health Sciences (NGH).