Loretto’s LPN apprentice program graduates first class

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Loretto’s LPN (licensed practical nurse) apprentice program has graduated its first class, the organization announced Tuesday.

Loretto said in a news release that the LPN apprentice program as the “first-of-its-kind in the United States and first to be approved by the U.S. Department of Labor.”  

It held the ceremony on Oct. 2.

Loretto teamed up with the health-care workers’ union 1199SEIU, CenterState CEO, and OCM BOCES on the program “to remove barriers for [its] certified nursing assistants and home health aides.”

“Countless health-care workers over the years have told me that they would love to continue their education if only their family responsibilities and work schedule allowed for it,” Benita Thompson, administrative organizer at 1199SEIU, said. “1199SEIU is proud to be part of a program that addresses workers’ concerns head-on. Now, workers can depend on job security and take advantage of creative scheduling opportunities that give them the freedom to go to school and finally achieve the academic goals that once seemed impossible.”

The nonprofit Loretto is a health-care organization providing services for older adults throughout Central New York. The organization serves close to 10,000 individuals each year through 19 locations in Onondaga and Cayuga counties.

This LPN apprentice program also meets the Reimagine New York Commission “Pathways Pledge” call to action for New York State employers to develop “real solutions to build back better” in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Loretto said.

The commission’s focus is on increasing opportunity in three “essential” ways: reducing the digital divide, improving access to health care, and creating “more and better employment in an increasingly digital economy.”

As part of Loretto’s ongoing workforce-development strategy, and in line with the Pathway Pledge, Loretto says it has committed to scale relationships with existing nontraditional workforce-development partners to facilitate recruiting, interviews, and mentorship opportunities.

In addition, the organization has committed to develop new relationships with New York State workforce-development providers serving underserved communities, explore creating new apprenticeship programs to provide pathways for underrepresented populations, and explore additional workforce supports for low-income workers or trainees, such as childcare and transportation subsidies, per its release.