New Funding and Partnership Aims to Solve Minnesota's Long-Term Healthcare Workforce Crisis
Care Providers of Minnesota and the International Institute of Minnesota have partnered to tackle the urgent shortage of long-term caregivers for Minnesota's senior citizens. This innovative collaboration offers workforce training for New Americans and supports employers in recruiting and retaining diverse talent, helping to alleviate the state's workforce crisis in long-term healthcare.
Addressing a Critical Need
According to an August 2024 report by the
Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), the state is facing one of the worst shortages of long-term caregivers in the nation. Nursing and residential care facilities have experienced a 9% drop in workers since February 2020, with hiring demand far exceeding supply.
A Culturally Specific Approach
To address this crisis, the Minnesota State Legislature allocated funding to the
Department of Human Services (DHS) to allocate grants to organizations that support New Americans in obtaining and maintaining employment in the long-term care profession.
Care Providers of Minnesota & t
he International Institute of Minnesota are one of those grant recipients and recognize the training of New Americans (refugees and immigrants) as a key solution. The funding will leverage the International Institute of Minnesota's nationally recognized workforce training programs to offer:
- A culturally specific curriculum for newly arrived immigrants in the Institute's Nursing Assistant Training program
- Job placement assistance with long-term care employers
- Support services including transportation, affordable housing, public assistance and financial coaching
"This funding enables us to build a training model that directly addresses the biggest hurdle for New Americans entering healthcare: the inability to take time off work for months of training. By offering financial support for our new arrivals, we’re removing that barrier and opening doors to meaningful careers in healthcare," said JP Holwerda, Senior Director of Workforce Development at the Institute.
Expanding Opportunities
The program will also support career training, navigation and planning for New Americans who are newer English speakers interested in long-term care housekeeping or dietary aide positions. As their English skills improve, they can advance in the Institute’s medical career pathway by enrolling in nursing assistant training.
"The International Institute of Minnesota has provided quality nursing assistant training to New Americans for more than 30 years. Last summer, we certified our 3,000th nursing assistant," Holwerda added.
Building Long-Term Careers
Care Providers of Minnesota (CPM), with its network of more than 1,000 member organizations that provide a spectrum of long-term care services throughout Minnesota, will focus on helping New Americans find successful placements with employers who have created career pathways that promote growth and retention in the long-term care sector.
Nicole Mattson, Vice President of Strategic Initiatives at CPM explained, "New Americans are a valued talent pool, and we want to provide long-term care employers with the resources to create welcoming, highly effective workplace environments where people want to stay and grow."
Statewide Impact
This collaboration will extend beyond the Twin Cities, with plans to develop programming tools for long-term care providers across Minnesota. With Care Providers’ statewide reach, the partnership will support New American communities and long-term care employers in areas like Worthington, Rochester, and St. Cloud.