Governor Mills Announces New Maine Positions & Recovery Plan Initiative to Fortify Maine’s Health care Workforce

A new $21 million method, Health care Coaching for ME, expands availability of totally free and reduced-price profession training for wellbeing care employees and businesses

Governor Janet Mills nowadays declared the launch of Health care Teaching for ME, an initiative of her Maine Employment & Recovery Plan to fortify Maine’s healthcare workforce by increasing availability of free of charge and small-charge profession coaching to support health care personnel progress their professions, support workforce instruction demands of health care businesses, and catch the attention of new personnel to rapidly-increasing fields.

Through the new Health care Teaching for ME site, men and women and companies can link with schooling from businesses and education and learning companions, these types of as grownup training systems, neighborhood colleges, and the college system. Folks and employers may then apply to obtain tuition help to enroll in instruction applications, or supply teaching to their staff members, at very little or no charge.

The initiative is a partnership of the Maine Department of Labor, the Maine Office of Wellbeing and Human Expert services, Maine Department of Education and learning, Maine Neighborhood Higher education Process, and the University of Maine Technique. It is supported by $21 million from the Maine Work & Recovery Strategy, which consists of $8.5 million allocated to DOL and $12.5 million allocated to the Maine Neighborhood College or university Process for workforce teaching.

“The overall health care sector is one particular of Maine’s most significant companies, putting thousands of Maine folks to perform in very good-paying out work opportunities guarding the health of Maine individuals. But for a very long time now, wellbeing treatment facilities across the condition have had to grapple with a lack of workers and the pandemic has only produced the issue even worse,” reported Governor Mills. “These new coaching packages will make it simpler and much more cost-effective for individuals, in particular youthful persons, to pursue professions in health care and to shift up the career ladder into bigger-spending jobs, which supports our well being treatment companies and strengthens our well being care workforce in the long-operate.”

“The Maine Department of Labor is committed to connecting the people of our condition to large-wage, in-desire work. This new partnership and centralized web site will be a vital resource for health care employers and staff looking to progress their and their workforce’s capabilities,” reported Laura Fortman, Commissioner of the Maine Department of Labor. “Healthcare schooling opportunities can now be observed in a single simple to navigate position, and health care workers can probably accessibility vocation-advancing coaching with minimal to no price to them or their employer.”

“The wellness of Maine individuals and the overall health of our economy rely on getting a potent, superior-top quality wellbeing treatment process,” mentioned Jeanne Lambrew, Commissioner of the Maine Office of Overall health and Human Services. “The cornerstone of our health care procedure is the qualified industry experts whose know-how, training, and compassion retain Maine individuals wholesome. The Healthcare Instruction for ME software will attract extra persons to these worthwhile professions and support them advance in their careers, a central goal of Governor Mills’ method to fortify Maine’s health treatment workforce now and into the long term.”

“We are proud to associate in this effort to present additional pathways for those people who want to go after careers as health care specialists. Maine’s grownup instruction programs have several years of encounter in giving sector-identified, credential bearing trainings and options to jumpstart professions in the healthcare workforce,” stated Pender Makin, Commissioner of the Maine Division of Education and learning. “Healthcare Coaching for ME allows streamline accessibility to these trainings and options although expanding collaboration with companies and larger instruction systems to present extra innovative instruction and employment alternatives.” By performing straight with wellness care companies throughout fields these types of as long-expression treatment, emergency companies, hospitals, behavioral health and fitness, and dental, Healthcare Coaching for ME aims to increase workforce instruction and retention fees. For present health treatment workers, the application gives cost-free or lower-expense pathways to new skills and state-of-the-art credentials, notably as a result of shorter-time period training alternatives. Future health and fitness care staff may perhaps accessibility details, instruction, and other assist to start out their professions.

Setting up now, wellbeing care employers with much less than 100 employees across their method who settle for MaineCare, may possibly use for education money to address workers recruitment and retention difficulties stemming from the pandemic. All employers and folks could start out to utilize for training resources on May perhaps 2, 2022.

Leaders from Maine’s overall health care marketplace, faculties, and universities welcomed the launch of Healthcare Education for ME as a important and innovative method to support strengthen Maine’s important wellbeing treatment workforce next the disruption of the pandemic. “The COVID-19 pandemic has brought into concentration the benefit of Maine’s medical center workforce and the benefits of professions in health care,” stated Steven Michaud, President of the Maine Hospital Affiliation. “Throughout Maine, clinic personnel have saved lives and delivered substantial-excellent treatment to their local communities. The Health care Training for ME method will assistance to attract additional individuals to these professions and retain recent workers, as element of the Mills Administration’s broader strategy to commit in and improve Maine’s wellbeing treatment workforce.”

“The two most significant indicators of pandemic restoration in Maine nursing households and assisted dwelling communities are sturdy staffing and occupancy,” explained Angela Westhoff, President and CEO of the Maine Wellness Treatment Association. “COVID-19 proceeds to place pressure on these related factors and our associates remain concerned about workers burnout, turnover, and a mass departure from caregiving altogether. MHCA is pleased to companion with the Administration on tangible recruitment and retention options, like Health care Teaching for ME, that will really encourage, incentivize, and cultivate the following technology of Maine’s well being treatment specialists.”

“As the biggest producer of the state’s skilled health care workforce, the College of Maine Method appears ahead to this partnership,” claimed Dannel Malloy, Chancellor of the College of Maine Technique. “The new Health care Training for ME initiative will help a lot more Mainers pursuing good-spending work caring for their local community by way of substantial-excellent healthcare training and training that boost their personal social mobility and wellness outcomes in rural Maine.”

“The short-phrase health care courses at Maine’s neighborhood colleges have been intended in partnership with professional medical associates across the point out, making certain that learners get exactly the capabilities desired for today’s place of work. Not only do we have excellent nursing and other 2-yr packages, but we’re utilizing the Maine Employment & Restoration System cash to tremendously broaden our quick-expression well being care coaching programs,” explained Dan Belyea, Main Workforce Growth Officer at the Maine Local community Higher education Process. “The Health care Schooling for ME software illustrates the reaction necessary to deliver a expert workforce to significant-need health and fitness treatment positions, and the need to have to act promptly and collaboratively. Our shorter-term teaching embraces serious-time opportunities and the accelerated keep track of in which learners can obtain a credential of price and enter into the workforce in a subject of months.”

“These past number of a long time have been certainly unprecedented in the expansion and complexity of the need within the behavioral health and fitness realm. Clinicians and employees have experienced to get the job done extended hours and carry hefty loads all throughout Maine,” reported Malory Shaughnessy, Executive Director of the Alliance for Dependancy and Psychological Health and fitness Products and services.“Alliance users are inspired by the Mills Administration developing and advancing the new workforce initiatives in the Maine Careers & Recovery Plan. Seeking forward, we have hope that these new Healthcare Schooling for ME means for vendors and staff will assistance with current needs as perfectly as tackle our longstanding workforce shortages. We are excited to collaborate with the administration on this and their broader health care workforce attempts.”

Health care Coaching for ME is portion of a sequence of initiatives from Governor Mills’ Maine Work & Restoration System to make investments in the state’s health and fitness treatment workforce. Forthcoming systems incorporate scholarships and college student loan relief for people today in wellness care professions new recruitment initiatives to inspire younger people today to enter careers in wellness treatment and the creation of health and fitness treatment vocation navigators to assist people today fascinated in overall health care fields decide the suitable career path for them.

The Maine Employment & Recovery Plan is the Governor’s program, authorised by the Legislature, to spend approximately $1 billion in Federal American Rescue Strategy funds to improve the lives of Maine people and households, assistance firms, make superior-having to pay work opportunities, and construct an financial state poised for potential prosperity.

It draws seriously on suggestions from the  Governor’s Economic Restoration Committee and the State’s 10-12 months Financial Development Tactic, reworking them into genuine action to increase the lives of Maine men and women and fortify the economy.

For a lot more about Maine Jobs & Restoration System, visit maine.gov/jobsplan.