BAYADA Home Health Care awarded grant to expand nurse apprentice program

Governor Tom Wolf today announced a $297,000 grant to expand BAYADA Home Health Care’s nurse residency apprenticeship program to help adults and children who need home health care in Pennsylvania.

“Many of us have known someone who has received in-home nursing service in the comfort of their own home and agree that the most qualified individuals are needed to serve our loved ones’ health care needs,” Wolf said. “As the demand for skilled in-home nurses continues, apprenticeship opportunities like these are even more crucial to help address this shortage. My administration is pleased to support BAYADA as they expand their apprenticeship program, create new career paths for nurses, and serve more people in communities across the commonwealth.”

BAYADA’s Jamison, Bucks County, location will use $297,000 from the Pre-Apprentice and Apprenticeship Grant Program to expand its talent pool to recent Licensed Practical Nurse and Registered Nurse graduates, who would otherwise not meet BAYADA’s hiring requirements for prior work experience.

“As a home health care provider, we are acutely impacted by the ongoing, nationwide nursing shortage exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said BAYADA Skilled Nursing Practice President Cris Toscano. “Funding from DCED will serve as an important scale-up investment in the state’s nursing workforce and will ultimately lead to our ability to care for more Pennsylvania residents in the comfort of their own homes, where they want to be.”

The project will replicate and expand BAYADA’s nurse residency apprenticeship program in partnership with corresponding workforce development boards into several counties across the state, including Bucks, Lancaster, Lehigh, Montgomery and Northampton.

“Investing in apprenticeship training and ensuring it is accessible for job seekers throughout the state is vital as we move forward in pandemic recovery,” said Gwen Ross, director of Workforce Development Initiatives. “We are thrilled to announce BAYADA’s expanded apprenticeship training opportunities as they build a skilled and ready workforce to serve individuals’ health care needs at home.”