Explore Medical Assistant (MA) healthcare apprenticeship opportunities with an innovative consortium in Washington state

A 23% growth in demand for medical assistants through 2028 is expected as per The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates. There is a shortage of skilled candidates to fill these roles. To address this shortage,  healthcare industry has started offering registered apprenticeships in recent years to help address the demand challenges for skilled workers. Since 2016, the number of healthcare apprentices has more than doubled, growing from 1,852 apprentices in the “healthcare and social assistance” industry to 4,507 in 2018.

Innovative consortium in WA state: An innovative consortium in the state of Washington has developed a registered apprenticeship program for medical assistants. This consortium is a multi-union, multi-employer  partnership created to provide all healthcare employers within Washington State access to the benefits of skilled apprenticeship training. 
As an example, one of program comprises Healthcare Apprenticeship consortium of Washington, Employers (Kaiser Permanente, Swedish, UW Medicine, Multicare) and Seattle Central College. It offers 2,000 hours on-the-job training, plus direct and indirect supervision by medical assistant mentors and 288 classroom hours. It offers a NHA CCMA (Certified Clinical Medical Assistant) certification upon completion. Compensation covers time spent with the employer and the apprentices’ time spent in the classroom and lab (but not homework). Each apprentice is matched one-to-one with an employer mentor. Support for apprentices includes a navigator, gas cards, coaching/counseling, benefits, and aid advisors.

Sponsor: Healthcare Apprenticeship Consortium of Washington
Training Agent: Kaiser Permanente
RSI (Related Supplemental Instruction) Provider: Seattle Central College
NHA CCMA certification upon completion
This will take approximately 14 months for most apprentices—12 months of classroom curriculum and approximately two additional months to finish the on-the-job training requirement. 

Are you ready to be a medical assistant ? Click here for apprenticeship opportunities !

Sources and useful links: 
1.    https://info.nhanow.com/learning-leading-blog/how-apprenticeships-are-filling-the-need-for-high-skilled-healthcare-workers
2.    Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Medical Assistants. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/medical-assistants.htm.
3.    https://healthcareerfund.org/healthcare-apprenticeship-consortium-for-employers/