SYRACUSE — Loretto describes its licensed practical nurse (LPN) apprenticeship program as “the first federally recognized LPN apprenticeship in the nation.” Loretto and leaders of the 1199SEIU union on Aug. 23 honored the program’s most recent graduates. Loretto’s LPN apprenticeship program resulted from a “successful labor-management partnership” between Loretto, the fourth largest health-care provider in […]
SYRACUSE — Loretto describes its licensed practical nurse (LPN) apprenticeship program as “the first federally recognized LPN apprenticeship in the nation.” Loretto and leaders of the 1199SEIU union on Aug. 23 honored the program’s most recent graduates. Loretto’s LPN apprenticeship program resulted from a “successful labor-management partnership” between Loretto, the fourth largest health-care provider in Central New York, and 1199SEIU, the largest health-care workers union in the U.S., per the Loretto announcement They developed the program to help frontline workers “overcome the barriers of cost and accessibility to higher education” by offering paid on-the-job training, free tuition, mentorship, and guaranteed employment.
“This program allows our students to continue to earn money for their families as full-time Loretto employees while furthering their education to advance their healthcare career,” Johaun Jackson, director of nurse education at Loretto, said in a statement.” Many people can’t afford to go back to school full-time or reduce their schedule to even go part-time because they need to provide for their families; this program invites them to do both and guarantees employment to all graduates.” Since the LPN apprenticeship program began in 2018, a total of 49 people have graduated from the 11-month program, which has a 96 percent pass rate for the New York State licensing exam (NCLEX). The initiative is funded by the Loretto Corporation, 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, and the 1199SEIU Training and Upgrading Fund, which invests more than $65,000 in tuition, wages, and benefits for each student. Kevin Lockhart, VP of 1199SEIU, said it’s that collaboration that makes the program so successful. “I am excited about the partnership between 1199SEIU and Loretto. Our shared vision and commitment to excellence in education, has allowed us to establish the nation’s first LPN Apprenticeship Program,” Lockhart said. “With this program we are able to address a real workplace need, and also create a pathway for continued education and higher skilled level jobs for our members.”
Program specifics
The LPN Apprenticeship Program incorporates the classroom learning and skill development required to become a licensed practical nurse with the “clinical support and mentorship they need to be successful in the role,” Loretto said. All Loretto clinical and non-clinical union employees can apply to the program when they meet the eligibility requirements as outlined in the collective-bargaining agreement during the annual enrollment period. Candidates interested in the apprenticeship program must have one year of Loretto experience at the time of program selection and have letters of support from their managers. All prospective students must participate in an interview process by a selection committee that includes Loretto administrators and 1199SEIU union representatives to “ensure they are prepared for the rigor and commitment to the program.” The program has graduated candidates who started careers at Loretto in food service, housekeeping, and frontline clinical roles, such as certified nurse aides (CNA) and certified home health aides (CHHA). As the fourth-largest health-care provider in the region, Loretto employs 2,400 people at its 19 programs and facilities delivering care to more than 10,000 people of all ages, income levels, and care needs in Onondaga and Cayuga counties each year, the organization said.