Project Summary

Capital Workforce Partners, the Workforce Investment Board serving 37 municipalities in north-central Connecticut, collaborated with more than 10 long-term care and hospital partners and an array of education partners to build the skills of certified nursing assistants and other frontline employees. Four of the facilities participated in work-based learning. The initiative trained CNAs and other frontline workers in academics, specialty skills, and personal management proficiencies, preparing them for advanced education in higher-skilled allied health or nursing professions.

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“I have taken other classes without mentors, and you had these questions along the way.
You thought, ‘Okay, I’ll wait to ask the teacher.’ By the time you get to the class you think,
‘What was I going to ask?’ In this class we have the mentor. Even if it is just five minutes,
you can go over and get an answer to your question without waiting. Because
no matter what, you have questions.”
—Frontline health care worker, CNA Advancement Initiative
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Capital Workforce Partners collaborated with community colleges to convert clinical specialty courses into work-based learning curricula, including courses on hospice and palliative care, dementia and Alzheimer’s, rehabilitation, and aging issues. College instructors taught the classes, two hours per week for six weeks. Additionally, the project developed a hybrid course that combined content in adult basic education and hospice care.

According to facility administrators, the training encouraged workers to learn more about their patients by reading charts and asking questions of supervisors and others. Consequently, workers learned how to deescalate problems with agitated residents and to reduce the number of falls by residents, a major problem in elder care facilities.

Mentors coached workers on achieving their learning objectives and applying them to the care of their residents. They also assessed whether workers acquired competencies needed to fulfill course requirements. The mentors—drawn from the ranks of nurses, managers, directors of nursing, occupational therapists, and other CNAs—received eight hours of training and continuing education units.

Charter Oak State College and area community colleges awarded 0.5 credits for completing each of the six clinical specialty courses. It is considering awarding 3 college credits for work-based learning courses. College credits will be applied toward a 30-credit gerontology certificate and subsequent Associate’s degree programs. Work is also underway to have college credits applied to a Long-Term Care Certificate through Charter Oak State College.

Workers received financial benefits for completing the clinical courses and advancing through career pipelines. For example, at one work site, the benefits included advancement in coursework and titles ranging from Level 1 to Level 3 CNA. Workers who completed at least two specialty courses advanced to Level 2 CNA and received bonuses of $100 to $200. At Level 3 CNA, workers advanced to unit captains and functioned as work-based learning mentors. They received a wage increase of up to $1 per hour. At Southington Care, 33 workers obtained wage increases as a result of the project.

Training Outcomes

  • At least 88 workers enrolled in work-based learning courses.
  • At least 33 workers received wage increases as a result of the training.
  • Employees increased their self-confidence, self-esteem, and skills as a result of work-based learning.

Benefits to Frontline Employees

  • Financial benefits for completing the clinical courses and advancing through career pipelines
  • Improved job skills and performance, deepening their sense of ownership over their jobs

Benefits to Employers

  • CNAs are better equipped to reduce the number of resident falls and de-escalate problems, thereby increasing the quality of care and resident satisfaction.
  • Work-based learning and mentorship brought people closer as a team.

Changes to Institutional Practice

  • Southington Care has implemented the three-level career ladder program.
  • Specialty courses were converted into work-based learning curricula, including the inclusion of competencies.
  • Capital Workforce Partners developed a case study model called “Do It” (Description, Observations, Intervention(s), Tried and True) to help students apply what they learn in the classroom to their daily work.
  • A hybrid course teaching model that fully integrates adult basic education skills enhancement with community college clinical specialty courses was developed. The basic skills component laid the foundation for and prepares participants to succeed in the vocational specialty course.
  • Work began to align clinical specialty courses to degree and/or certification programs at Charter Oak State College and Capital Community College.