State Surpasses Goal of Recruiting 1,000 Certified Nursing Assistants

Posted on March 31, 2022 by Lori Meyer

As long-term care settings face staffing shortages throughout the state, Governor Walz set a goal in Dec. 2021 to recruit and train 1,000 new certified nursing assistants (CNAs) through the Next Generation Nursing Assistant initiative. On Tuesday, Governor Walz joined CNAs and other health care professionals at St. Paul College to announce the initiative surpassed its goal.

"Reaching our goal required an incredible partnership between the state, Minnesota State, high schools, and private training providers. These groups worked tirelessly to scale up training throughout the state, and I applaud their efforts," said Governor Walz. LeadingAge Minnesota's OnTrack Nursing Assistant Training Program is one of the few training partners participating in the Next Generation initiative and was represented at the press conference by Ethel Muchlinski, OnTrack’s RN Facilitator and Clinical Consultant for Educare.

Gov. Walz, Ethel Muchlinski, OHE Commissioner Olson

The Governor has proposed a supplemental budget that includes $6.7 million to continue the program and provide CNA training to 3,000 students per year for two years. 

Starting in Jan., the state rolled out the Next Generation Nursing Assistant initiative, made possible with a $3.4 million investment from federal American Rescue Plan funds. That investment allowed the state to cover the cost of tuition, books, scrubs, and certification exam fees for anyone interested in pursuing a career as a nursing assistant.

As of March, a total of 1,278 Minnesotans participated in this initiative. This includes:

• 940 students enrolled in free training courses offered by Minnesota State or a private training provider;

• 338 high school students who accessed training through their school district, with the state paying for their certification exam.

"Training over a thousand Minnesotans in three months is no small feat," said Minnesota Office of Higher Education Commissioner Dennis Olson. "I commend the staff and instructors of Minnesota State and private training providers for their selflessness in scaling up operations and outreach. It was truly awe-inspiring to watch this public-private partnership problem-solve in real-time, moving mountains to ensure this program was a success."