Schoolcraft College and Trinity Health to provide tuition assistance for employees to further education

Employees of Trinity Health will now be able to benefit from a new agreement between Trinity Health and Schoolcraft College institutions, which provides tuition assistance to help students prepare for their careers in the field of healthcare.

Trinity Health Michigan and Schoolcraft College have come together to create a solution to the talent crisis being experienced in healthcare. The two institutions announced a new program that will provide Trinity Health employees with tuition assistance to ease the burden of higher education costs as they pursue their careers in eight different healthcare fields.

In an article posted on Schoolcraft College’s website, Dr. Glenn Cerny, Schoolcraft’s president, was quoted about this new arrangement, saying, “This big pipeline of talent from Trinity Health will get access to everything they need right here on the campus of Schoolcraft, from the classrooms of our new Health Sciences Center to Trinity Health’s on-campus community healthcare facility. There’s nothing like this in Michigan.”

It is not unusual for students to have access to some tuition reimbursement when employed by some health systems, but this new partnership is different because it provides full tuition assistance to Schoolcraft students who express desire to work for Trinity Health, and current Trinity Health employees. Trinity Health will work flexibly with interested students and employees so that current students will be able to participate in their classes while also working. This will let students who would otherwise not be able to afford school to deepen their educational experience to have that as an option. The partnership will also offer a tailored workroom to classroom pipeline at a community college whose campus houses a private health system facility. The new Trinity Health Michigan facility opened on the campus of Schoolcraft College two years ago to provide residents of Livonia and surrounding communities with a continuum of care. The center includes urgent care, specialty care, and primary care, as well as advanced imaging, surgery, and pharmacy, as well as a host of ancillary services.

The president and CEO of Trinity Health Michigan and Southeast Regions Rob Casalou weighed in on the new partnership, saying, “This is a win-win-win-win. Trinity Health employees get a new career path for little or no tuition. Schoolcraft gets a pipeline of students. Trinity Health Michigan deepens our bench of first-class healthcare talent. And the communities of Southeast Michigan benefit from a continuum of Trinity Health Michigan services at the conveniently located Schoolcraft campus.”

This new partnership continues to build the relationship between the new institutions, which began last year with the overarching goal of creating new paths to educate the workforce for the future. The new agreement will take effect in the upcoming fall semester, and provides details for course offerings, tuition assistance, applications, and eligibility. Students will be trained in eight different healthcare fields, all of which are seeing a shortage of workers, including Emergency Medical Technology: Paramedic AAS Degree, Diagnostic Medical Sonography AAS,  Radiological Technology AAS Degree, LPN Certificate to ADN-RN, Pharmacy Technician Skills Certificate, Sterile Processing Skills Certificate, and Surgical Technology AAS.

Ane McNeil, who serves as the senior vice president of Human Resources at Trinity Health, weighed in as well, saying, “Together we are driven to unlock the true potential of our employees and community by offering a diverse range of pathways, ensuring that no talent goes untapped. By investing in education and skill-building, we aim to cultivate a thriving workforce that can embrace innovation and drive sustainable progress for years to come.”

Cerny went on to say that the partnership is in response to both national and state trends, such as the fact that one-sixth of the economy of the country is the healthcare industry, and that Michigan’s population of senior citizens is expected to double in the next few years. 

Former Trinity Health Michigan medical imaging executive Donna Moir, who now works for Cerny as Schoolcraft’s health program liaison, talked about the partnership and its inspiration, saying, “This project is five years in the making. Let’s be honest, nobody is moving to Michigan for these healthcare careers, which means we need to grow our own pipeline of qualified, passionate, purpose-driven healthcare professionals. There’s no better place to do that than Schoolcraft and no better career partner than Trinity Health Michigan.”

The classwork done by participants in this new program will take place in the Health Sciences Center at Schoolcraft College, which is a short walk from the Trinity Health on-campus facility.

A second-year Schoolcraft student and Trinity Health scholarship recipient identified as Adrianna talked about her experience positively, saying, “Through the program and the hands-on experiences, I know what I need for my career before being hired. The program is one of the best I have seen and with Trinity Health offering tuition assistance others are able to live out their dream of becoming a nurse like I am.”

As the relationship between Schoolcraft College and Trinity Health deepens, it is evident that Cerny’s efforts to create career pathways for students with private sector partnerships, maintain modest tuition rates, and grow revenue are top of mind. 

Schoolcraft was named as a finalist for “outstanding college/corporate partnership” by the American Association of Community Colleges Awards of Excellence program for its partnership with Trinity Health last year. The college also announced earlier this summer that it had partnered with Corewell Heath to start creating a pipeline of talent for nursing students, as well.

“Schoolcraft’s passion for private sector partnerships is unmatched. It’s more important than ever for colleges and universities to identify, build, and nurture relationships with the business community, not only to create a next generation workforce but to also address the steep decline in college-age students in the generation ahead. I’d like to see the Schoolcraft-Trinity Health partnership serve as a model for all of Michigan,” said Cerny

More information about Schoolcraft College can be found at the school’s website.