Davidson-Davie Community College announces North Carolina's largest healthcare apprenticeship program with Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist
Davidson-Davie Community College has become one of the state leaders in training new healthcare professionals with one of the largest health care systems in the Triad.
On Monday the college announced it had created the largest healthcare apprenticeship in North Carolina with Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist signing on as the college’s first healthcare partner under the new agreement.
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Under this apprenticeship program, students will be able to work in a healthcare profession while taking courses related to their career.
“We are thrilled to be able to offer our students and future students an incredible array of opportunities within the healthcare sector, through which they can pursue an educational pathway toward their chosen career while also having a stable income,” said Holly Myers, dean of health sciences at Davidson-Davie Community College. “And not only that, but we are supporting the healthcare workforce and the communities in which we live by educating new professionals to fill much-needed jobs.”
Deb Harding, DNP, vice president and regional chief nurse executive at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist said the apprenticeship program is an excellent example of innovative strategies needed to rebuild the healthcare workforce.
“Staffing shortages exist among all disciplines and ancillary support roles. This unique partnership not only offers structure that supports and grows the pipeline of health care learners but affords the unique opportunity to engage in new thoughts regarding models of care design and leverage the academic learning health system,” said Harding in a written statement.
The partnership between Davidson-Davie and Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist will include medical assisting, medical laboratory technology, nursing, licensed practical nursing, pharmacy technology, central sterile processing, surgical technology, and nurse aide. The college state they are also planning to work with other healthcare partners to establish apprenticeships in health information technology, EMT and paramedic.
The new apprenticeship program is an extension of a 2021 collaboration between DDCC and Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptiest to start the state’s first Registered Nurse apprenticeship program. The new program expands apprenticeship opportunities to other critical healthcare fields.
“As the region’s only academic learning health system, a large part of our mission is to help train the next generation of health care professionals,” said Kimberly Stanbery, DNP, chief nursing officer at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Davie Medical Center and Wake Forest Baptist’s Comprehensive Cancer Center. “We are so pleased to collaborate on such an important program and give people in our community the necessary education and skills to serve in a wide variety of health care roles.
Davidson-Davie is one of 58 community colleges across North Carolina and worked through the statewide ApprenticeshipNC program.
“The NC Community College System (NCCCS) is pleased to see Davidson-Davie Community College expand opportunities to the next generation of healthcare workers through Registered Apprenticeship Programs at Wake Forest Baptist,” said Dr. Bruce Mack, VP of Economic Development at NC Community College System. “Combining the related classroom instruction with on-the-job learning benefits all parties and will help Wake Forest Baptist develop a well-qualified and experienced talent bank of much needed healthcare workers. ApprenticeshipNC is proud to be a part of this exceptional program.”
Although the number of spots available for apprentices is limited, there are plans to increase the number of available spots over the next few years, according to representatives from Davidson-Davie Community College. Interested applicants should start by completing the college application process.
General news reporter Sharon Myers can be reached at sharon.myers@the-dispatch.com. Follow her on Twitter @LexDispatchSM.
This article originally appeared on The Dispatch: Davidson-Davie Community College starts healthcare apprenticeship program
