West Shore Community College, the Michigan Department of Labor, Michigan Works! West Central, and Corewell Health Ludington Hospital partner for RN nursing apprentice program

Michigan has its first-ever registered nurse apprentice program thanks to a new partnership. The program was recently signed into effect at a ceremony at the Soaring Eagle Casino in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan. 

Russell Davis, the director of the Michigan Department of Apprenticeship at the U.S. Department of Labor, was quoted in a press release as saying the program will be “a home run that can serve as a template for the state.”

The program will allow for students interested in pursuing a nursing career to get both classroom instruction and on-the-job experience with a mentor. The on-the-job experience will also be a paid full-time position as an apprentice at Corewell Health Ludington Hospital. The partners hope this will be a more streamlined experience to achieving a registered nurse license.

The partners in this endeavor are the Michigan Department of Labor, Michigan Works! West Central, Corewell Health Ludington Hospital (previously known as Spectrum Health Ludington Hospital), and West Shore Community College in Scottville. 

Apprentices at Corewell Health Ludington Hospital will also be enrolled at West Shore Community College’s nursing program where they will be receiving classroom instruction and lab activities, as well as clinical education. The apprentices will also be given on-the-job training at Corewell Health Ludington Hospital, which could lead to employment at Corewell Health Ludington Hospital once they achieve their registered nurse licensure. This program will take less time than a more standard registered nurse program.

West Shore Community College President Scott Ward spoke on the program and its place in the community, saying. “It is a testament to the collaborative nature of our community that we are the first to have a registered nurse apprenticeship program. The hard work and dedication of Shelley Boes, our director of nursing and allied health, and her staff to foster and maintain relationships with healthcare facilities and hospitals in our region, is paying off with this history-making partnership at a time when the health care industry needs it.”

The program was designed by Janis Kerazim, workforce program manager with the Workforce Intelligence Network, Meleah Mariani, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, FACHE, who is the chief nursing officer at Corewell Health Ludington Hospital, and Rochelle (Shelley) Boes, MSN, RN, who is the director of nursing and allied health at West Shore Community College. The program was designed with the goal of expanding the accessibility of nursing careers for people who cannot afford to pursue nursing education without also having a full time job.

Meriani elaborated on this idea in the press release, saying, “The rural health workforce faces many challenges, including nursing shortages. The registered nurse apprenticeship can open doors for those who otherwise might not pursue a career in nursing. So many times, I have heard someone say ‘I always wanted to be a nurse,’ but the need to work full-time, the demands of childcare, and other associated expenses create roadblocks. It is my hope that our RN apprenticeship and partnership with West Shore Community College and Michigan Works! West Central means that Corewell Health can inspire hope for those caring individuals who envision themselves as future nurses. We are incredibly grateful for this opportunity.”

Michigan Works! West Central is another part of the partnership and will help facilitate communication between the school, hospital, and Department of Labor. Michigan Works! will also work with the apprentices to help them overcome common obstacles for people on that career pathway such as childcare, the cost of transportation and gas, and more.

Shelly Keene, executive director of Michigan Works! West Central, spoke of the organization’s involvement with the partnership: “We are proud to partner with West Shore Community College and Corewell Health Ludington Hospital to provide this first-of-its-kind apprenticeship in Michigan to help meet the state’s growing demand for nurses. This is a one-year, competency-based apprenticeship program that will allow nursing students to go above and beyond the scope of traditional classroom training. Those enrolled in the program will not only gain knowledge in the classroom, but also from a mentor in a real hospital setting.”

The partnership is working to finalize application and admissions criteria. It is expected that the first apprentices will begin working sometime next year.

Shelley Boes of West Shore Community College threw in her enthusiasm for the program, saying, “We are thrilled with this opportunity to allow working people a chance to take their skills and education to the next level. Working with Corewell Health Ludington Hospital to make sure West Shore Community College’s outcomes and objectives align with the direct care of patients has been a wonderful partnership. The nurse apprenticeship program will help nurses understand the role and job while they continue to learn and gain experience.”

For more information on West Shore Community College, visit the school’s website.