Five new nurse aides finished the Training Hub’s program and are poised to join PA’s long-term care workforce
JOHNSTOWN, PA – The latest cohort of student nurse aides celebrated their graduation from the Nurse Aide Training Center on Friday, Dec. 5. Surrounded by family, supporters, and well-wishers at a ceremony hosted by Richland Nursing & Rehabilitation in Johnstown, the new caregivers expressed excitement at the career opportunities now open to them.
"I know that this is just the beginning for me,” said Kimya Vuckovich, of Johnstown. “I am going further. I am going to keep learning, keep growing, and keep helping people. Because that’s who I am.”
These new caregivers are poised to join Pennsylvania’s long-term care workforce thanks in large part to PA’s first Industry Partnership CNA Training Hub (The Hub). Vuckovitch has already secured a position with Richland Nursing & Rehabilitation.
The Hub is a project of The Training & Education Fund (TEF) established earlier this year through an Industry Partnership grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry. The goal of the Hub is to not only help the long-term care industry bring more CNAs to the workforce but to ensure those caregivers are of the highest quality. To date, the Hub has guided 17 new caregivers through the program.
“The long-term care industry has been struggling to find solutions for this staffing crisis for years,’ said Lisa Williams, executive director of the Training & Education Fund. “We’re focusing right now on areas where nurse aide training programs are difficult to find and access by people who want to become caregivers. Healthcare jobs are family-sustaining jobs and we want to make sure everyone has access to them.”
The turnover rate for CNAs in Pennsylvania is high – more than 50% according to industry sources. The job is often physically and emotionally demanding and competition for staff among nursing homes and hospitals is high. There’s also a lack of accessible training opportunities for prospective new caregivers in many rural and outlying communities.
The Hub is partnering with the Southern Alleghenies Workforce Development Board, the Greater Johnstown Career & Technology Center, and industry employers like Saber Healthcare, Transitions Healthcare, LGAR Health and Rehabilitation Center, and Windber Woods Senior Living & Rehabilitation Center, as well as SEIU Healthcare PA, the state’s fastest-growing healthcare union to coordinate regional resources and connect employers with nurse aide training providers and other community support services.
The Industry Partnership grant funding the project is one of several the TEF and its partners have received this year to help augment and expand programming aimed at recruiting and retaining a stable, highly-trained healthcare workforce to meet the needs of Pennsylvania's aging communities and those with disabilities.
“We’re excited about the success of the Hub,” said Williams. “We’re looking forward to expanding the program and bringing these solutions to communities across Pennsylvania.
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About the Training and Education Fund
The Training and Education Fund is a nonprofit organization aimed at enhancing the quality and care of services in the healthcare industry. We support healthcare workers by helping them achieve their career and personal development goals and aid healthcare employers to foster a stable, highly-trained workforce to meet the needs of all Pennsylvanians.
