Capital Workforce Partners Receives Highly Competitive Grant for Long-Term Care Training

Hartford, CT – July 5, 2007… Capital Workforce Partners receives highly competitive grant for long-term care training.

Congressmen John Larson and Chris Murphy Announce Long Term Care Workforce Initiative

Kansas, Upstate New York, Alaska, Mississippi, Michigan and Metro Hartford, CT, are the six regions that received grant awards – from a pool of 77 applicants with models to help address the impending allied healthcare shortage through training initiatives.

“America’s aging population is creating demand for the professional development of highly skilled long-term care providers,” said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment and Training Emily Stover DeRocco.

“I am thrilled that the Capital Workforce Partners received this grant award. Their work is of the utmost importance as our community faces a critical nursing shortage. Through their work, it is my hope that they will be able to provide an educational pathway for many who hope to dedicate their lives to nursing,” said Congressman Larson.

“This puts the State of Connecticut at the forefront of solutions for alleviating a crisis in the long term care workforce,” says Thomas Phillips, President and CEO of Capital Workforce Partners. “It is an opportunity to work with our partners to further and enhance a proven training model – one that will help our region and may be sought after to replicate throughout the country.”

The $506,836 grant is funded by the U.S. Dept. of Labor and is issued to Capital Workforce Partners along with its partners – including: four north central regional community colleges, VNA Health Care, seven long term care facilities, 1199 Training & Upgrading Fund, CT Association of Health Care Facilities, CT Association of Non-Profit Providers for the Aging, CT Office for Workforce Competitiveness, Capitol Region Education Council, and Vernon Adult Education.
The program will provide an on-site, incumbent Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) training program, at no cost to participating workers, that will build the academic, specialty skills, and personal management proficiencies of the CNAs, enable them to earn higher wages, and prepare them for continued study in a more advanced allied health or nursing profession. The program will address the interrelated CNA workforce challenges of skill development, and retention and advancement using components of two proven models, the Extended Care Career Ladder Initiative and the Bridges to Healthcare Careers Program by:

1. Enhancing the current CNA curriculum and common core elements, and promoting the use of this curriculum in the four community colleges.
2. Delivering incumbent CNA training at the worksites in two tracks – the CNA Specialty Track featuring clinical and leadership skills development, and the CNA Advancement Track.
3. Providing cultural and linguistic competency training for front line supervisors.

This multi-organizational partnership has committed substantial resources to match, implement and promote this initiative. Capital Workforce Partners, the lead agency and fiscal agent, will provide grant oversight, coordination, assessment and training through the CT Works One-Stop system. Capital Workforce Partners has committed $606,498 in leverage and match to the initiative. Adult Education providers (CREC, Vernon Regional Adult Education, etc.) will conduct on-site basic skills classes and core competencies training at participating long-term and home care facilities for those who have basic skills needs. The four community colleges in the region (Asnuntuck, Capital, Manchester and Tunxis) will provide enhanced training to new and incumbent workers, integrating the Capital Workforce Partners career competencies, conduct academic assessments, and develop the format to replicate the program statewide. These partners have committed $427,200 in leverage and match to the initiative. Ten long-term/home care employers (VNA Healthcare, Hartford; Hebrew Home & Hospital, West Hartford; Jerome Home, New Britain; Riverside Health & Rehabilitation Center, East Hartford; Southington Care Center, Southington; Alexandria Manor, Bloomfield; Bidwell Care Center, Manchester; Trinity Hill Health Care, Hartford) will contribute $230,400 in match for worker training, provide on-site space, and commit paid time for training of their incumbent workers . The 1199 Training and Upgrading Fund will contribute a part-time Education Coach for academic and career counseling and a $30,000 match for three trainings at unionized facilities. The Connecticut Office for Workforce Competitiveness will contract with Charter Oak College to facilitate the development and implementation of the enhancements to the CNA curriculum.

The Anticipated Outcomes are 646 incumbent CNAs will receive training at 10 long term facilities, 431 CNAs will earn at least one advanced credential that may qualify them for wage increases, 72 CNA participants will advance to core college work towards nursing or allied health.

For more information, contact Sandra Rodriguez, Communications Director for Capital Workforce Partners at 860-522-1111 ext. 235.