AUSTIN, Texas — If you have ever wanted to get into the healthcare field, now may be the time to do it.
Workforce Solutions Capital Area has been awarded $540,000 from the Texas Workforce Commission, which they are using to expand local health care apprenticeship programs at St. David’s Healthcare, Baylor Scott and White Health and Austin Regional Clinic.
Baylor Scott and White has had their own apprenticeship program since 2019. They train middle-skill employees to fill in-demand healthcare jobs, such as medical assistants and patient care technicians.
Now, thanks to this grant, their next apprenticeship cohort that starts in January will be open to the public.
“There’s just been a number of successful results and stories that our employees have of entering this program at an entry level minimum wage and progressing their career through Baylor Scott and White to become a nurse or to become a clinic manager,” said Mark Sherry, the Regional Human Resources Director for the Greater Austin Region of Baylor Scott and White Health.
The goal of the full program through Workforce Solutions is to train 270 apprentices.
According to a Workforce Solutions industry analysis, healthcare is one of the largest industry clusters in the Austin metro area, with over 100,000 workers on payroll. Of those positions, 65,000 are considered middle-skill positions.
Not only is this a great opportunity for people in the program, but it also helps the hospitals, as the health care industry is facing staffing shortages. These shortages are due to the pandemic, health care workers needing a break, the growth in Austin creating a need for more workers, and a competitive job market.
“We have the challenges of high cost of living, obviously, which we believe is why this apprenticeship model, this upskilling model for us is extremely important to be able to provide individuals that opportunity to earn and learn as they grow their career and develop their skill set,“ said Sherry.
You need a high school diploma and an interest in health care to apply.
Workforce Solutions says apprenticeships help eliminate barriers to pursuing a traditional education program by emphasizing paid on-the-job learning toward achieving certification. For employers, apprenticeships address difficult-to-fill jobs and are a strategy to attract and retain talent.
Workforce Solutions says that expanding apprenticeship programs is an opportunity for unemployed and underemployed residents to gain new skills valued by hiring employers, while at the same time strengthening the region’s economic competitiveness.
“By becoming an apprentice, Austinites can achieve their certification at no cost, better provide for their families, and start a path to a more self-sufficient career,” says Amber Warne, director of upskilling and advancement at Workforce Solutions Capital Area. “Expanding these apprenticeship programs will also help healthcare employers in Central Texas hire locally to fill roles quickly and continue providing safe and quality care to their patients.”
To learn more about the Workforce Solutions Apprenticeship Program, click here. To search apprenticeship positions at Baylor Scott and White, click here. To view an opening for an apprentice position in Round Rock, click here.
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