Iowa healthcare apprenticeships provide students path to full-time jobs

DES MOINES, Iowa (Gray Television Iowa Capitol Bureau) – The state of Iowa, like many states, needs more healthcare workers.

Job opening data through Iowa Works shows that four of the top six categories for openings are in the healthcare field.

Broadlawns Medical Center in Des Moines is one of 21 healthcare apprenticeship programs across the state.

The center’s staff trains students, like Ramaun Ford, while they’re in school.

Ford initially studied criminal justice and didn’t like it.

A friend convinced him to apply to the program at Broadlawns, but he originally had his doubts. “I never had any like healthcare like professional or experience or anything. So, coming into this I was a little worried about that cause I was like man what am I gonna do? I didn’t even know what CNAs did,” he said.

Ford says he received great support in the program.

“The only way you can fail is if you don’t want to do it. There’s like no way they’ll let you fail. You know, they give you all the resources and everything you need and all the support,” he said.

Now, Ford says he plans to continue his education.

“And eventually who knows, I thought about going on to become like a PA or NP or something else along the lines cause like there’s no reason for me to stop, you know, if I don’t have a limit,” he said.

The state is in need of more nurses, and Iowa saw a nearly 6% drop in the number of nurses with an active license from Fiscal Year 2022 to 2023, according to the Iowa Board of Nursing.

But – nursing isn’t the only pathway for apprentices.

Dr. Hayley Harvey, Director of Dental Education at Broadlawns said, “We have been able to create a pipeline for those same students that come through and say ‘huh, dentistry is not a bad opportunity as well to consider’.”

The state spent $13.5 million on these healthcare apprenticeships last year. That’s led to an estimated 1400 apprentices like Ramaun working in hospitals and nursing homes.

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Conner Hendricks covers state government and politics for Gray Media-owned stations in Iowa. Email him at conner.hendricks@gray.tv; and follow him on Facebook at Conner Hendricks TV or on X/Twitter @ConnerReports.

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