SkillUp Washigto Healthcare Learig Cosortium Recogizig ad Rewardig the Role of Etry-level Healthcare Workers May 2017
Ackowledgmets SkillUp Washigto is thakful to the JPMorga Chase Foudatio for fudig the Healthcare Learig Cosortium. Etry-level healthcare jobs play a vital role i the lives of health care cosumers, the healthcare workforce ad ecoomy. These jobs offer fulfillig careers, ad are gateways to ext step careers for may. There are umerous opportuities to parter betwee employers, educators ad commuity-based orgaizatios workig to advace the skills ad career aspiratios of health care workers. Parters ivolved i the Healthcare Learig cosortium, icludig the Washigto Associatio of Commuity ad Migrat Health Ceters, SEIU 1199NW Multi-Employer Traiig Fud, SEIU 775 Beefits Group, Seattle Cetral College, Literacy Source, Cross Cultural Health Care Program ad the Washigto State Board of Commuity ad Techical Colleges, are leadig the way i developig ew pathways ad opportuities for frotlie healthcare workers. SkillUp Washigto is grateful for the time, effort ad willigess to try ew thigs that each parter put forth as part of this iitiative. Writte by: Busiess Govermet Commuity Coectios Photos by: Rya Castoldi, Cierra Huziker ad Destiy Williams Graphic desig by: Noise w/o Soud
Table of Cotets 1. Backgroud 5 2. Study Methods 10 3. Pilot Project Summaries 10 4. Results 12 5. Lessos Leared 19 6. Next Steps 25 Photos by Rya Castoldi Photography frot & back cover photos plus pages 4, 14, 19, 21, 23, 24 Photos by Cierra Huziker: Outreach Specialist SEIU 1199NW Multi-Employer Traiig ad Educatio Fud pages 5, 7, 8, 16, 18 Photos by Destiy Williams: Adult Educatio Lead SEIU 1199NW Multi-Employer Traiig ad Educatio Fud pages 9, 17 3
Etry-level health care jobs play a vital role i the lives of health care cosumers, the health care workforce ad ecoomy. These jobs offer fulfillig careers, ad are gateways to ext step careers for may. There are umerous opportuities to parter betwee employers, educators ad commuity-based orgaizatios workig to advace the skills ad career aspiratios of health care workers.
1 SkillUp Washigto Healthcare Learig Cosortium 1. Backgroud SkillUp Washigto, a workforce fudig collaborative at the Seattle Foudatio, is grateful to the JPMorga Chase Foudatio for fudig two sigificat capacity buildig iitiatives. Oe of these iitiatives, the Greater Seattle Sector Skills Academy, focuses o buildig the capacity of workforce developmet leaders ad the overall workforce system ad is featured i a separate report. This report describes the results of the secod iitiative, which was aimed at supportig the job retetio ad career advacemet efforts of etry-level healthcare workers with low basic skills. Labor market data shows high demad for a variety of etry-level jobs i healthcare icludig Home Care Aide (HCA), Evirometal Services (EVS) ad Food Nutritio Service (FNS), as well as may mid-level jobs such as Medical ad Detal Assistat. Natioally, HCAs are cosidered oe of the atio s top jobs ad are cosidered a high demad job statewide with a projected 2.5% growth rate betwee 2014 ad 2019 1. Roughly 27-30% of the SEIU 775 Beefits Group s 40,000 HCA members across Washigto State speak a laguage other tha Eglish. For may healthcare provider systems, housekeepers, jaitors ad other EVS workers, as well as FNS workers, costitute a importat etry-level job for may low-skilled workers, icludig may refugees ad immigrats. Service workers make up half of the over 12,000 eligible members across the SEIU 1199NW Multi-Employer Traiig Fud etwork. Of those workers, 1 Washigto Career Bridge: http://www.careerbridge.wa.gov/detail_occupatio.aspx?soc=311011. Visited 5/16/2017 5
Healthcare Learig Cosortium 20% work i the EVS ad FNS departmets, may who speak Eglish as their secod laguage, makig up a sigificat segmet of the healthcare workforce. I am so fortuate to have bee i this program. I am learig so much ad ow feel like I am much more efficiet i my job ad able to do so much more to help patiets. I also thik that because I am i this traiig that the people I work with ivolve me much more i their work ad take me ad my ideas more seriously. Accordig to Burig Glass, the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue Metropolita Statistical Area shows a much higher demad tha average for Medical Assistats, ad is the 7th highest hirig regio i the coutry for this occupatio. Durig the past year, Medical Assistats had the secod highest umber of job postigs for healthcare jobs that pay betwee $35,000 ad $75,000 2. Parters i this work tested differet models of skill buildig ad career advacemet for etry-level healthcare workers ad collected project data to idetify effective practices ad make a case for scalable models. They also agreed to meet regularly to share lessos leared ad egage i cross system strategies to alig ad coordiate resources. As a orgaizatio dedicated to supportig workforce equity, SkillUp was particularly cocered that may low wage icumbet healthcare workers do ot have a opportuity to access post-secodary traiig opportuities because they eed to work, ad require accessible, customized skill buildig strategies that address their circumstaces. I additio, may low wage workers lack access or have limited access to traiig or scholarship beefits that pave the way for them to advace i their careers. Oftetimes the traiig they do receive focuses o tasks that they perform i their everyday work. To address these issues, SkillUp drew upo its parterships with local healthcare traiig providers to form the Healthcare Learig Cosortium (HCLC) ad idetify promisig skill-buildig strategies which they wated to grow or pilot. 2 Labor Isight Jobs (Burig Glass Techologies), Jue 2017 Seattle Regio Partership aalysis of healthcare idustry 6
Healthcare Learig Cosortium I particular, cosortium members were acutely aware of the employmet fragility of etry-level workers who eed to meet ew digital literacy demads i the healthcare labor force, such as those which required hospital workers to be proficiet i usig the ew EPIC electroic medical record ad operatios system. The pilot strategies were also ispired by the Washigto State Board of Commuity ad Techical College s (SBCTC) Project I-DEA (Itegrated Digital Eglish Acceleratio), which promotes itegrated learig opportuities to Eglish Laguage Learers ad teaches Eglish i tadem with college ad career skills. I tur, I-DEA was based o the SBCTC s I-BEST (Itegrated Basic Educatio ad Skills Traiig) program, which itegrates istructio usig team teachig to combie college ad career skills with job traiig. A aspiratio of HCLC parters was that icumbet workers who do ot yet have digital literacy, Eglish laguage ad/or basic skills to pursue I-DEA or I-BEST pathways could develop these skills while workig, leadig to more job security ad more opportuities to advace i their careers. SkillUp coveed the HCLC i the summer of 2015. The group has bee meetig sice the o a quarterly basis to review ad discuss the results of their pilot projects ad career advacemet strategies. Cosortium meetigs serve as a veue for HCLC parters to leverage or alig resources, collectively address challeges that arise, ad share lessos leared. The HCLC parters iclude the Washigto Associatio of Commuity & Migrat Health Ceters (WACMHC), the SEIU 1199NW Multi-Employer Traiig Fud (Traiig Fud), Seattle Cetral College (SCC), SEIU 775 Beefits Group, Literacy Source, Seattle Cetral College (SCC), the Cross Cultural Health Care Program (CCHCP), ad the SBCTC. Each of the parters brigs a rich array of skills, experiece ad coectios withi the healthcare sector. For example, WACMHC is a statewide idustry associatio cosistig of 28 commuity ad migrat health ceter employer members, ad is oe of 7
Healthcare Learig Cosortium 52 State ad Regioal Primary Care Associatios across the coutry. Amog its may services are providig educatio ad traiig services to its Commuity Health Ceter members, some of which have garered atioal attetio as oe of the first healthcare appreticeship programs for Medical Assistats i the Uited Sates. The Traiig Fud has a impressive history of supportig iovative educatio ad career developmet eeds for healthcare workers ad for implemetig traiig programs that meet the eeds of idustry ad esure high quality patiet care. Negotiated through a joit labor-maagemet agreemet i 2008, the Traiig Fud provides bargaiig uit employees from eight Puget Soud healthcare employers skill developmet ad career advacemet opportuities. The Traiig Fud has a strog history of workig with local commuity colleges, such as SCC, ad commuity orgaizatios such as Literacy Source, to further support the eeds of adult learers through istructio, basic skills developmet ad tutorig. The SEIU 775 Beefits Group is a oprofit school which trais 40,000 Home Care Aides (HCAs) each year i Washigto State to deliver high quality care ad assistace to older adults ad people with disabilities. The SEIU 775 Beefits Group is a atioal leader i competecy-based adult learig, coectig rural ad isolated workers to traiig etworks ad support, ad advaced traiig icludig their Advaced HCA Appreticeship program. The HCLC membership also icludes learig parters such as the SBCTC ad CCHCP. As oted above, the SBCTC has forged traiig parterships that egage studets i courses bledig Eglish laguage istructio with college ad career skills, icludig programs such as I-DEA. The CCHCP is a oprofit traiig ad commuity orgaizatio that serves as a bridge betwee commuities ad healthcare istitutios to advace quality health care which is culturally ad liguistically appropriate. CCHCP supports the work of ethically ad culturally diverse medical iterpreters i healthcare settigs. 8
Healthcare Learig Cosortium I would tell all cliics to give people a chace to be i this program. I am better at my job ow ad have lots more questios that I ask i order to make sure that I am usig my ew skills differetly to help patiets get services faster ad from someoe who really cares about them. I wish I had doe this earlier because I kow my employer ad the other staff I work with are happy that I am doig so well, combiig work ad study, ad usig what I lear right away i my job. The above orgaizatios are dedicated to promotig a culturally diverse healthcare workforce ad to helpig etry-level healthcare workers achieve family-sustaiig wages ad rewardig careers. All believe their services will cotribute to better care for healthcare cosumers ad ecoomic beefits to icumbet workers ad orgaizatios where they work. I additio, all feel that membership i the HCLC will icrease their orgaizatio s kowledge ad access to other resources ad promisig practices used to support etry-level workers. Local ad atioal iterest i the work uderway has bee strog as orgaizatios across the atio are lookig for effective ways to support the job retetio ad career advacemet of etry-level healthcare workers. I order to develop their ow uderstadig of how differet strategies ca support the job retetio ad career advacemet eeds of healthcare workers with low basic skills, HCLC parters piloted the followig four strategies ad shared the results with each other: registered appreticeship; o-the-job learig ad coachig; use of digital ad olie learig platforms, icludig hybrid delivery models; ad customizatio of Eglish as a Secod Laguage (ESL) curriculum for icumbet healthcare workers. The research approach, pilot project descriptios, results, learig ad ext steps emergig from this work are described i the balace of this report. 9
2 Healthcare Learig Cosortium 2. Study Methods Data sources for this report iclude: (1) Quarterly reports from The Traiig Fud, WACMHC ad the SEIU 775 Beefits Group icludig demographic iformatio ad traiig erollmet ad completio results; (2) HCLC coveigs ad meetig otes; (3) Iterviews with a sample of WACMHC appretices ad metors; (4) Iterviews with Traiig Fud members egaged i the EPIC traiig, ESL ad Basic Skills traiig; ad 5) Iformatio provided by EVS ad WACHMC metors, employer ad ESL istructors. 3 3. HCLC Pilot Projects JPMC grat fuds supported the pilotig of three differet icumbet worker healthcare strategies ad HCLC coveigs, which were facilitated by SkillUp. Each of the pilot strategies prioritized services to low icome healthcare workers, primarily refugees, immigrats ad etry-level workers. May eed to build their techology, Eglish ad workplace commuicatio skills i order to advace i their jobs or to have the skills ecessary to eter I-DEA, I-BEST or other commuity ad techical college Allied Health pathways. The primary aims of the three healthcare pilots ad the HCLC are outlied below. Healthcare Pilot Project Descriptios (1) Work-based Learig Strategy to Prepare Etry Level Healthcare Workers to be Medical Assistats WACMHC utilized grat fuds to expad their Medical Assistat Registered Appreticeship (MARA) program. Participats i the MARA program work for 12 moths as paid, full-time employees i a healthcare settig with oe-o-oe guidace ad coachig from a Medical Assistat. The vast majority of MARA participats are icumbet workers at commuity health cliics workig at more etry level such as MA-Registered or Certified Nursig Assistat (CNA). The program requires 364 hours of supplemetal 10
Healthcare Learig Cosortium upaid coursework, both olie ad through i-perso weeked lab days with a expert istructor. Studet cohorts progress through the olie coursework together ad iteract with oe aother o discussio forums. After completig the program, studets take the Certified Cliical Medical Assistat (CCMA) test to ear both state ad atioal certificatios. (2) Work-based Learig Strategies to Promote the Digital ad Basic Skills of Etry-level Hospital Workers The Traiig Fud, Literacy Source, South Seattle College ad the SBCTC s Job Skills Program worked with employer parters such as Northwest Hospital to offer olie learig opportuities for hospital Evirometal Services (EVS) ad Food Service workers to build their Eglish ad digital literacy skills. Northwest Hospital employees were paid for their time to take a comprehesive tuitio-free 22-hour computer literacy course that provided them with the skills to master the EPIC techology ad system. Work-based olie learig opportuities desiged ad implemeted by the Traiig Fud, Literacy Source ad SCC were offered to hospital EVS ad Food Service workers from Uiversity of Washigto Northwest Hospital, Swedish Medical Ceter, Highlie Medical Ceter, Uiversity of Washigto Valley Medical Ceter ad Kaiser Permaete WA (formerly Group Health). Modules were desiged by SCC to build workers digital literacy ad Eglish Laguage Skills, ad to help prepare workers for usig Cavas, the olie learig maagemet system used by all of the commuity ad techical colleges i Washigto State. SCC based the curriculum o promisig strategies from the SBCTC s Project I-DEA, with the itetio that workers would be more likely to eroll i advaced traiig oce they felt comfortable usig this system. Literacy Source provided face-to-face istructio osite at the hospitals two days a week. 11
Healthcare Learig Cosortium (3) Digital Learig Platform Strategy to Support the ESL Skills of HCAs who are Eglish Laguage Learers This work chages the way people see you. They do t expect you to iterpret for patiets so much, though I still help with that, or to be i the backgroud doig less importat thigs, you are more like a true member of a healthcare team. The SEIU 775 Beefits Group set out to test the effectiveess of the Xeos digital learig platform with HCAs, a olie gamebased learig platform that icludes various competecy-based Eglish learig modules. The assumptio was this project would provide useful iformatio about the pros ad cos of usig a digital learig platform to build the basic ad ESL skills of HCAs. Healthcare Learig Cosortium The HCLC meetigs were desiged to serve as a veue for 4 members to share their experieces ad coordiate ad leverage resources. The itet was that HCLC members would serve as soudig boards ad troubleshootig strategists for their peers. 4. Results The results of the above strategies are described below. Quotes from persos associated with the WACMHC ad Traiig Fud pilot projects are preseted as well. (1) Work-based Learig Strategy to Prepare Etry Level Healthcare Workers to be Medical Assistats Sice the program bega, WACMHC has erolled 113 appretices i the MARA, 50 of whom were erolled as part of the HCLC-fuded expasio. Aother 25 are aticipated to start i summer 2017. To date, 97% of MARA participats have completed the program or are o schedule to complete. The overall passage/certificatio rate for the CCMA exam is 88% ad test results are outstadig for some studets. The program curretly has a 81% first-time pass rate for the CMA exam, compared to 73% atiowide. WACHMC also lauched a small detal appreticeship pilot program. To date, 12 detal appretices are erolled i the program ad iitial resposes from employers idicate that they value the quality of the program. 12
Healthcare Learig Cosortium I feel like this is just the begiig of my ew learig. I am cofidet that I will pass the state certificatio. This makes me wat to stay i this occupatio but to grow eve more. I had bee worried before I started because I had ot bee i school for a log time, but this is the best way to lear. You study at home, lear ew lab techiques with others, practice what you have leared at work ad the have people who are there to advise you ad let you kow how you are doig ad where you eed to improve. WACMHC s impressive program completio ad MA certificatio passage rate is garerig attetio ad additioal fudig. For istace, WACMHC received grats from the Workforce Developmet Coucil of Seattle-Kig Couty ad Washigto State Departmet of Labor & Idustries to support staff salaries, expad its appreticeship programs ad etwork of employers, develop a pre-appreticeship program ad desig a Behavioral Health Coordiator appreticeship. Early wage progressio results show steady icreases i wages for icumbet workers who erolled i the MARA program. As the followig chart demostrates, icumbet workers from a variety of jobs experieced wage progressio over the course of their time i the program. $20.00 $19.00 $18.00 $17.00 $16.00 $15.00 $14.00 $13.00 MA Appretice Wage Progressio by Prior Occupatio $14.38 $13.93 Bubble size idicates relative umber of appretices i each category $15.65 $15.18 $13.13 $16.03 $14.06 $17.62 $16.09 $14.55 $14.57 $14.60 $12.00 $11.00 $10.00 $9.32 $10.90 MA-R or MA-P CNA Other cliical Admi Other icumbet No icumbet $9.00 0 1 2 3 4 Program Stage 13
Healthcare Learig Cosortium WACMHC is egaged i may differet expasio efforts. The program has rebraded the appreticeship ad traiig arm of WACMHC as I-REACH: the Istitute for Rethikig Educatio ad Careers i Healthcare. WACMHC also joied the HCAP fuded Natioal Ceter for Healthcare Appreticeships ad is pursuig atioal recogitio of the MA Appreticeship Stadards. It is also puttig a pilot i place to egage a cohort of recet high school graduates ito the MA Appreticeship at Providece Hospital sites. I additio, WACMHC is parterig with South Seattle College (SSC) to offer college credit to appreticeship completers. MA appretices will receive a total of 56 credits for the program (36 RSI ad 20 OJT); completig a additioal 14 credits olie or at SSC will result i a AA degree, ad credits ca be trasferred to other Washigto colleges. 14
Healthcare Learig Cosortium (2) Work-based Learig Strategy to Promote the Digital ad Eglish Laguage Skills of Etry-level Hospital Workers Digital Skills I leared so much i the EPIC traiig. I was able to use a computer for the first time, ad get over beig scared of the ew chages i my job. I am really good at my job. I am ot sure without this traiig I would still be employed. Fifty-seve (57) icumbet housekeepers at Northwest Hospital participated i the 22 hour pre-epic computer traiig. The Retur o Ivestmet (ROI) of providig pre-epic traiig was strog; 100% of the housekeepers used the computers to access EPIC o a daily basis, ad icreased their digital skills. Room turover times at Northwest Hospital decreased, as did patiet admissio times from the emergecy room. Northwest Hospital s implemetatio of EPIC was regarded as oe of the smoothest by EPIC Implemetatio Leaders who were itroducig the techology at differet hospitals. Digital ad Eglish Laguage Skills Cavas is a o lie platform which teachers use to preset their course cotet. Studets access these materials through a portal. This gives them a opportuity to lear o their ow time ad repeat coursework if they eed more practice. SCC prepared a Cavas-based olie curriculum cotextualized for work i a hospital settig. The curriculum embedded digital skills which were most pertiet to icumbet worker jobs, ad was desiged for studets with CASAS readig levels of 3 ad/or 4. By helpig studets lear Cavas, the learig maagemet system which studets use to access ad complete olie, hybrid, ad web-based classes, SCC was pavig the way for icumbet workers to cotiue their educatio. Literacy Source provided face-to-face istructio two days a week to studets erolled i the Cavas-based class, ad supplemeted curriculum to best serve idividual eeds. The face-to-face istructio was key to buildig studets digital skills for workig olie. Oe hudred eleve (111) EVS workers erolled i digital literacy ad/or basic skills traiig, icludig pre-epic traiig at Uiversity of Washigto Northwest Hospital 15
Healthcare Learig Cosortium ad olie ESL/Cavas ad o-cavas traiig at Swedish Medical Ceter, Uiversity of Washigto Northwest Hospital, Highlie Medical Ceter, Uiversity of Washigto Valley Medical Ceter ad Kaiser Permaete WA. EVS workers who participated i EPIC ad other work-based Eglish laguage classes gaied cofidece, ad improved their commuicatio ad self-advocacy skills. Gaiig ew skills had a impact o the cofidece ad career goal settig experieces of workers, leadig some to explore ext step educatio ad promotioal opportuities. 100% of Cavas studets icreased their digital literacy skills. I have always wated to lear more Eglish. Ad to thik about gettig more traiig. Now I have a start ad I thik I will soo be able to go to college. Fifty-four icumbet workers with CASAS readig levels ragig from 1-6 erolled i the ew SCC Cavas module (13 studets) ad other osite ESL classes (41 studets). Through the support of this project, the Traiig Fud bega issuig Chromebooks to studets who complete the Cavas class or log 40 class hours ad demostrate idepedet computer skills. As of Jue 2017, forty-five of the 54 were actively workig towards earig Chromebooks ad 40 studets eared a Chromebook. These studets are already usig the vocabulary eeded to complete assigmets ad olie avigatio, ad are gaiig expertise i usig the itegrated, cotextualized vocabulary. They are buildig o their earlier istructio to focus more o workplace commuicatio issues ad situatios that require egotiatio, e.g. how to request time off, or respod to ureasoable requests. 83% of studets who took mid-year testig icreased their readig or writig scores. Istructioal strategies were put i place to promote the career advacemet of EVS workers, some of whom were iterested i patiet care, office or lead positios ad Food Services, ad Food service workers, some of whom were iterested i becomig leads, chefs or patiet care workers. These icluded helpig studets explore their ow stregths ad existig skills, ad lear what they would do to pursue differet careers. Studets also received educatio ad 16
Healthcare Learig Cosortium advacemet support to progress from learig geeral commuicatio skills to beig well versed at articulatig their professioal stregths ad competecies, ad realizig their potetial to advace withi the hospital eviromet. They egaged i idepedet learig ad other activities eeded to promote these efforts. (3) Digital Learig Platform Strategy to Support the ESL Skills of HCAs who are Eglish Laguage Learers The SEIU 775 Beefits Group strategy was suspeded due to low recruitmet umbers, ad to a icreasig awareess that the model, which required HCAs to atted a class at a o-work locatio, was ot practical. Fuds were diverted istead to devisig strategies which would support the trasitio of HCAs to the WACMHC Medical Assistat pathway. Summary Demographics of Persos Served i Pilot Projects Across the three pilot strategies, a total of 226 idividuals received traiig. The majority were wome (82%) ad 18% were me. More tha three-quarters (83%) were 30 years old or older. Eighty-eight percet (88%) were people of color, with just uder half (47%) idetifyig as of Spaish/Latio/Hispaic origi. Healthcare Learig Cosortium The HCLC provided may opportuities for HCLC members to devise strategies to better itegrate their work. The cross system (oprofit, college, labor-maagemet ad employer) relatioships formed durig this work will be sustaied ad grow i the future. This cross system learig ad sharig to date uderscores the value of establishig a commuity of practice which ivites ew ideas ad ecourages cross system collaboratio. Examples follow: WACMHC is workig with the Traiig Fud as a coduit for helpig workers trasitio ito acute care/hospital eviromets. 17
Healthcare Learig Cosortium WACMHC ad the SEIU 775 Beefits Group are desigig career pathway optios for HCAs iterested i workig as Medical ad/or Detal Assistats at commuity cliics across the state. Literacy Source shared their experiece i providig tutorig ad other support to workers requirig basic skills ad ESL istructioal assistace resources that are, ad could be a beefit to, may other commuity-based orgaizatios. The CCHCP shared iformatio about cultural competece, ad resources to support equity ad iclusio i health services with all parters. All HCLC parters are developig cross-referral ad screeig procedures, thus expadig the types of healthcare pathways that cliets ca access i a streamlied, coordiated fashio. 18
Because I have leared more Eglish I am more cofidet at work. Someoe told me that I was supposed to do some tasks that I was ot resposible for. For the first time I stood up for myself, ad explaied that is ot somethig I eeded to do. They listeed because I could protect myself. 5 The WACMHC model is strog ad scalable Healthcare Learig Cosortium 5. Learig WACMHC has successfully egaged employers ad traied appretices, ad the labor market demad for Medical Assistats is great. Every state has federally qualified health ceters, like the oe WACMHC belogs to, ad every state has healthcare orgaizatios, such as those that hire home health care workers, which would beefit from access to the MA Appreticeship model. Furthermore, every state has commuity ad hospital-based cliics, where there is a great eed for Medical Appretices. Cosequetly, this program is well-positioed to grow. There is a strog body of support for scalig the WACMHC model, icludig from atioal labor-maagemet orgaizatios that promote iovatio ad quality i healthcare, ad the Departmet of Labor s Office of Appreticeship. The WACMHC model is a promisig career pathway As the followig chart shows, there are multiple existig ad developig pathways ito the MARA program from other etry-level occupatios withi commuity cliics, such as Frot Desk, Dietary Services ad MA-Phlebotomist. The MARA program is also poised to serve as a pathway ito advaced traiig ad employmet, icludig Physicia s Assistat, Registered Nurse ad Behavioral Health Services. 19
Cliical Support Services Nursig Medical Assistig Social & Commuity Services Behavioral Health Services 2 + years of college required BSN/MSN/ ARNP Registered Nurse Physicia s Assistat BSW/MSW LCSW/LMFT Credetial or some college required Office maager Licesed Practical Nurse Certified Nursig Assistat MA- Certified Behavioral Health Coordiator Chemical Depedecy Professioal Medical records No educatio or miimal traiig required Frot desk Evirometal Services Home Care Aide MA- Phlebotomist MA- Registered Patiet Navigator Commuity Health Worker Patiet Navigator Dietary Services Existig appreticeship Traditioal pathways Appreticeship i developmet Curret appreticeship pathways Traditioal barrier Pathways i developmet
Healthcare Learig Cosortium Traiig Fud Icumbet Workers Strategies to allay employer cocers about liability ad worker preparedess are importat to address WACMHC is respodig to employer liability cocers about employig appretices who are ot yet fully credetialed by developig detailed guidelies about what appretices should ad should ot be doig at each stage of the program, ad is developig a pre-appreticeship program to provide basic traiig to appreticeship cadidates before they are hired by a health ceter. Labor-maagemet parterships are istrumetal to implemetig multiple parter worksite learig opportuities Combiig work ad Eglish classes is hard ad tirig. But I come to class as much as I ca, ad ow I use the computer at home to study. This is goig to be a log process, but I am ot givig up. Someday I wat a better job. As a labor-maagemet partership, the role that the Traiig Fud plays i creatig equitable workplace based traiig programs is importat. This work icludes, but is ot limited to: (1) parterig with participatig employers to idetify workforce eeds across the healthcare system to iform workforce plaig strategies; (2) aligig supports with workers goals to maximize the breadth of educatio beefits available to them uder their uio cotract; (3) providig career ad educatio plaig to determie ad prioritize the skill-buildig eeds of workers; (4) developig, i partership with employers, curricula ad career coachig strategies to address these eeds; (5) recruitig workers i partership with uio orgaizers ad maagers; ad (6) offerig traiig that is coveiet for workers ad creates access, icludig techology-eabled space at the worksite. 21
Healthcare Learig Cosortium Adaptable course schedules, 1:1 ad small group istructio, ad employer egagemet were essetial approaches used by the Traiig Fud ad Literacy Source I ever kew some of the most importat words i my job, but ow I am better at usig these words. I still have to practice o the computer ad do more readig ad writig. I feel like I am more equal to other workers ow o the computer, but still feel shy talkig or askig questios, but I at least do that ow. Oe of my co-workers eve asked me my opiio about somethig. That ever happeed before. -- Northwest Hospital Worker The positive results of ivestig i the pre-epic traiig were sigificat, uderscorig that persoalized ad itese 1:1 ad small group strategies are istrumetal to retaiig etry-level staff whe ew or emergig techology is a requiremet of employmet. Schedulig classes at times whe workers could atted was the most challegig logistical problem for this strategy. For this reaso Literacy Source worked with maagemet to develop schedules that would accommodate classes for the may shifts at a hospital, icludig weekeds. This approach is ecessary to egage etry-level workers who eed customized istructio to improve their Eglish ad techology skills. Workers who participated i all HCLC traiig icreased their cofidece, work skills, ad self-idetify as studets, lifelog learers ad/or persos who had ext step career aspiratios. The importace of etry-level workers egagig i traiig that icreases both their work skills, awareess of, ad opportuities for advacemet caot be uderestimated. These experieces cotributed to their cofidece ad effectiveess as health care team members, ad awareess of the steps they would eed to take to advace i their careers. These efforts also set a positive sigal effect to colleagues that they were idividuals who played a vital role i the workplace, deserved respect, had opiios, ad demostrated drive by their impressive commitmet to work ad lear. Effective recruitmet strategies icluded beig o site before, durig ad after the day at parter hospitals to discuss the project with workers ad employers, icreasig the visibility of the project. The strog worksite presece ad frequet i perso cotact with workers ad program advocates (icludig EVS supervisors, 22
Healthcare Learig Cosortium uio delegates ad orgaizers) helped staff to market the traiig programs. Frequet coversatios amog pilot project staff ad workers built a greater uderstadig of the skill-buildig ad ecoomic beefits of traiig. Staff also helped workers see how the traiig could be itegrated ito their busy lives, as may had sigificat family obligatios or secod jobs. Time ad practice cotributed to studet readig, writig, computer ad literacy skill gais The most successful ESL ad basic skill buildig istructioal strategies icluded face to face time with icumbet workers ad their Literacy Source istructor to practice vocabulary, ad troubleshoot computer-related techical difficulties. A learer-cetered focus by istructioal team members was particularly effective, as were efforts to build the trasferable skills of workers, such as professioal email commuicatio. May workers require log term educatioal itervetios All parters are cotiuig to look for fudig opportuities to support the ogoig skill-buildig eeds of etry-level workers, kowig that for may this will require takig multiple years of study to be ready for I-BEST or other college programs. Multi-year itervetios that support these types of strategies are essetial to put i place. HCLC parters observed that, i geeral, studets ofte eed at least 100 hours of study to advace oe skill level (i readig, for example). I regards to digital skills, however, may factors cotribute with wide variatios depedig o studets startig poit, experiece, prior level of educatio, Eglish skills, age ad access to practice. Cotextualized learig for specific tasks ca show skill gais quickly, but the above factors all cotribute. With foudatioal readig ad digital skills, studets ca gradually trasitio to more idepedet ad hybrid learig eviromets. 23
Healthcare Learig Cosortium Desigig curriculum based o worker ad employer feedback was effective at buildig worker problem solvig ad self-advocacy skills The module created through the Traiig Fud/Literacy Source/ SCC partership for the cavas class Workplace Commuicatio was particularly effective. This class covered topics such as: Iterpersoal Commuicatio (verbal ad overbal); Clarifyig ad Checkig Uderstadig, Usig Polite Laguage to Make Requests ad Refusals; Self-Advocacy ad Resolvig Coflicts ad Solvig Problems i the Workplace. All topics were idetified by employers ad workers, ad were relevat to the jobs of studets i the class. Studets who were iterviewed said that they appreciated ad used this traiig i their everyday commuicatios with peers ad supervisors. Esurig that etry-level workers have opportuities to build their skills is essetial to creatig a diverse healthcare workforce All HCLC parters are aware of the high level of competitio for hospital jobs, most of which have good wages ad beefits. Ofte iteral cadidates are competig with applicats who have years of idustry experiece. HCLC members are cogizat that by promotig diversity alog career pathways, there will be beefits to healthcare cosumers ad workers alike. A review of the pilot projects reveals that lookig at these challeges through a equity les is essetial to esure that ample resources (ESL, access to computers, iteret, career coachig) are available to support the skill-buildig eeds of icumbet workers i workplace settigs. The resources available to workers through the collectively bargaied Multi-Employer Traiig Fud maximize employers cotributios to brig a suite of beefits to workers yet these resources must be paired with accessible traiig. Workers may be required to chage their schedule or eve reduce their hours to progress at a faster pace. Eve whe all parters cotribute their fudig resources to the effort, the reality for workers still remais. Without additioal time to focus o studies, 24
Healthcare Learig Cosortium gais will be cosistet with time available to dedicate toward learig. Models ad fudig that ca free up time, icludig stipeds, release time ad backfill ca make a big differece. Parterships that routiely combie the resources of college, employer, commuity-based ad labor-maagemet-focused parters eed to be recogized as itegral Lies of Busiess 6 (LOB), rather tha oe-off pilot projects. 6. Next Steps WACMHC is workig with SkillUp to establish a presece as a atioal etity, i.e. Istitute resposible for traiig, ad sharig materials with other etities atiowide who wat to implemet MA or Detal Assistat appreticeships. I this role WACMHC will provide states with guidace i buildig pipelies to MA appreticeships. Techical assistace will iclude sharig tools, products, data sharig systems, ad fidigs from the MA Appretice work uderway. Expasio of the MA model to other healthcare pathways ad veues, such as tribal orgaizatios ad hospital systems are also a ext step priority. Through SkillUp, WACMHC is coectig with the Natioal Fud for Workforce Solutios CareerSTAT iitiative ad will be poised to lear from other healthcare employers across the coutry who prioritize skill developmet ivestmets i frotlie healthcare workers. I additio, WACMHC is workig with the State Office of Superitedet of Public Istructio to explore the possibility of offerig healthcare pre-appreticeships, either through regioal Skill Ceters or stad-aloe programs for high school seiors ad recet graduates. WACMHC is also establishig a partership with the Tulalip Tribes with the dual itetio of egagig tribal health ceters as employers ad tribal members as appretices. Fially, WACMHC has established a partership with the Seattle Colleges (South Seattle College s Georgetow campus) to build college credits ito the MARA program s existig supplemetal coursework. 25
Healthcare Learig Cosortium The Traiig Fud is strivig to build a ext-step career bridge compoet to the olie curriculum available for workers. SCC is desigig a itermediate ESL course with cocepts relevat to etry-level acute care jobs such as Nursig Assistat that will support workers ito hospital patiet care pathways after they have built foudatioal digital literacy skills, icludig the use of Cavas. I additio, the Traiig Fud, Literacy Source ad SCC will cotiue to work together to offer olie learig opportuities supported with face-to-face istructio for hospital EVS ad Food Services workers to build their digital literacy ad Eglish Laguage Skills. The SEIU 775 Beefits Group is workig with WACMHC, the Traiig Fud ad SkillUp to implemet a pathway for HCAs to Medical Assistats at commuity ad hospital-based cliics across Washigto State. All HCLC parters pla to work together to build o ramps that prepare ad coect icumbet workers to high school completio, I-BEST healthcare ad other allied healthcare pathways. These o ramps will iclude egagig the iterpreters workig with CCHCP ad etry-level employees served to date as well as other healthcare idustry parters employig similar populatios. Multiple HCLC parters expressed a iterest i explorig tax break strategies that could icetivize employer utilizatio of icumbet worker skill-buildig traiig programs. They also advocated icreasig employer support for work-based career advacemet strategies that compesate icumbet workers ad egage them i tuitio free, accessible, workbased traiig. SkillUp will cotiue to foster public-private collaboratios to support workforce developmet programs desiged to meet the uique eeds of etry-level healthcare workers ad the health care idustry, ad to dissemiate best practices. 26
1601 5th Aveue Suite 1900 Seattle, WA 98101 206.388.1670 www.skillupwa.org