The Medical Assistant Apprenticeship Program—the first in the history of our union and Kaiser Permanente Washington—has been launched, and we are thrilled to be part of a historic beginning! We are exceptionally proud of the first cohort of 20 apprentices who began their journey this fall toward becoming Medical Assistants through the program.
Our union bargained an agreement with KPWA that allows us to “learn while we earn” and become certified Medical Assistants through on-the-job learning and instruction at Seattle Colleges under experienced teachers, coaches and mentors. Apprentices are full-time employees with benefits and are paid for their classroom time during the week, reducing access barriers for our members and community members coming into the healthcare industry. Our partnership with the employer, the Healthcare Apprenticeship Consortium sponsored by the SEIU Healthcare 1199NW Multi-Employer Training and Education Fund, is the first multi-employer and multi-union apprenticeship program in the nation.
The SEIU Healthcare 1199NW Multi-Employer Training and Education Fund is a leader in delivering healthcare apprenticeship programs in Washington State. The Healthcare Apprenticeship Consortium is a partnership created to provide healthcare employers in Washington access to skilled apprenticeship training for their workforce. As members of the consortium, these programs are available to eligible SEIU members at Training Fund participating employers, including:
- Kaiser Permanente
- MultiCare Health System
- Swedish Edmonds
- Swedish Medical Center
- UW Medicine
Jobs that start with an apprenticeship are highly skilled and in high demand. Join the apprenticeship program to upgrade your career in healthcare! Program cohorts are being planned for winter and spring 2020. For more information and eligibility details, visit https://healthcareerfund.org/apprenticeship/