NextGeneration Nursing Assistant Program: How Employers Can Engage with NextGen Students

Posted on December 1, 2022 by Anna Mowry

Join us on Tuesday, Dec. 6, at 1 p.m. to learn about the NextGeneration Nursing Assistant (NGNA) program and how your organization can connect with NextGen students. This webinar is for employers who want to learn more about the following:

• The NGNA program, funding, timeline, and upcoming classes (Valerie DeFor, HealthForce Minnesota)
• Upcoming opportunities to connect with future NextGen grads (Elaine Vandenburgh, HealthForce Minnesota)
• Best practices for recruiting and being an employer of choice for NextGen students (Anna Mowry, LeadingAge Minnesota, and Nicole Mattson, Care Providers of Minnesota)

Save the date to your calendar, and to join the webinar, register today (Passcode: 592241).

This webinar is put on in partnership with LeadingAge Minnesota, HealthForce Minnesota, and CareProviders of Minnesota.

Start Connecting with Students Today

NGNA classes are offered at various times and dates from now until the end of February 2023 at participating Minnesota State colleges and universities. To see current listings of NextGen classes and locations, click here.

As employers, you can reach out to the local campus near you to discuss ways students can learn about your organization. Training programs must now incorporate at least two hours of employer engagement into their training to help connect students with employment opportunities. Training programs will facilitate these connections virtually or in person. Examples of employer connections can include employer presentations and panels, career fairs, promotion of local job openings, and more!

As classes get underway, LeadingAge Minnesota will continue to explore other opportunities for employers to connect with NGNA students. We will provide information to members as these resources are developed.

Background on NGNA

The NextGen initiative began in Dec. 2021 when Governor Tim Walz invested $3.4 million of funding to provide free nursing assistant training to 1,000 individuals, covering the cost of instruction, scrubs, testing, and more.

In September, Governor Walz announced an additional $2.5 million investment to continue the state’s NGNA program. The new funding will allow the initiative to run until Feb. 2023 to recruit and train an additional 800 students. To learn more about the extension, read our article Governor Walz Announces $2.5 Million Investment to Extend the NextGen Free Nursing Assistant Training Program.

For questions, please contact Anna Mowry, Director of Workforce Solutions.