Loretto, union recognize latest class of LPN apprenticeship graduates

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Loretto and leaders of the 1199SEIU union on Friday recognized the most recent graduates of the licensed practical nurse (LPN) apprenticeship program, “the first federally recognized LPN apprenticeship in the nation.”

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 the release. “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 program began in 2018, 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 program is funded by the Loretto Corporation, 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, and the 1199SEIU Training and Upgrading Fund, which invests over $65,000 in tuition, wages, and benefits for each student.

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 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.