[ST. PAUL, MN] – Governor Tim Walz today announced a new initiative to recruit, train, and deploy at least 1,000 new certified nursing assistants for Minnesota long-term care facilities experiencing staffing shortages by the end of January.

The effort is a partnership between state government, colleges, and long-term care providers led by the Minnesota Office of Higher Education. It will recruit qualified Minnesotans and enroll them in certification courses at Minnesota State campuses.

Once trained, the CNAs will be eligible for employment at Minnesota long-term care facilities that are facing severe staffing shortages. Sixteen colleges within the Minnesota State system are currently training approximately 400 members of the National Guard for deployment as emergency temporary nursing assistants in those facilities, a model this initiative will replicate.

The Walz-Flanagan Administration is aiming to use federal American Rescue Plan funding to pay for qualifying expenses associated with CNA courses (i.e. tuition, fees, books, technology needs, test fees) to ensure these courses are available at no-cost to students.

“Our long-term care facilities are relying on a new generation of certified nursing assistants to provide quality care to their patients. By working with communities, colleges, and care providers around Minnesota, we will recruit and train these new CNAs and ensure we have the staff we need in long-term care,” said Governor Walz . “Our goal is to train 1,000 CNAs in two months to bolster staffing and provide necessary care to Minnesota patients during our COVID-19 response. But not only that: through this training program we can help maintain a stable long-term care workforce for years to come.”

“Thousands of Minnesota families rely on our long-term care facilities to provide specialized medical care to their loved ones,” said Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan. “We’re taking action now to build a future workforce of talented new nursing assistants to make sure these patients and residents receive the quality care they deserve.”

“In order to meet this goal, we are eliminating many of the financial barriers that prevent students from earning their CNA credential,” said Minnesota Office of Higher Education Commissioner Dennis Olson. “Our college campuses stand at the ready to offer training, but now we need Minnesotans to answer the call. If you are about to graduate high school, a current college student, or someone looking for a career change, I hope you will consider pursuing a career as a certified nursing assistant. Together, we can improve the health and wellness of our great state.”

“We are truly grateful for the selflessness and the commitment shown by the members of Minnesota’s National Guard as they stepped in to fill this vital need,” said Devinder Malhotra, chancellor of Minnesota State. “I am also deeply grateful to and tremendously proud of our faculty and staff who were able to, with less than a week’s notice, scale our Certified Nursing Assistant program and deliver it to hundreds of Guard members to equip them with the skills they need to serve in long term care facilities. We are now prepared to meet this new challenge of educating 1,000 additional Certified Nursing Assistants and fulfill the critical role that the colleges and universities of Minnesota State play in meeting Minnesota’s need for workforce talent, including during times of crisis.”

“Every member of our care team plays an essential role, but by far our deepest staff shortages are for the certified nursing assistants who serve on the front line of services and support,” said Gayle Kvenvold, President and CEO of LeadingAge Minnesota. “This welcome initiative will help remove barriers to training for all those who are attracted to this special career that lies at the heart of long-term care services and support. We are grateful for the ongoing, collaborative work with state agency partners to address the extraordinary workforce challenges in our sector.”

“We look forward to working collaboratively with state agencies to address one of our critical workforce concerns: lack of certified nursing assistants to fill our thousands of vacant positions,” said Patti Cullen, President and CEO of Care Providers of Minnesota. “Nursing assistants are the foundation of any senior care environment, and it is imperative, for both public health and community well-being, that we are training an adequate number of individuals to serve our seniors in places they call home. This is an essential starting point, and we hope to continue to work together to increase starting wages and benefits to entice more Minnesotans into this valued profession.”

The Minnesota Office of Higher Education is convening a work group of state agencies, higher education institutions, and long-term care providers to implement the recruiting and training program. The initiative will offer resources and support to those pursuing a CNA credential from the first day of class to the first day on the job. This includes covering costs for tuition, fees, and materials. Additional investments will support transportation and technology needs for students. The program will also provide up to 10 high schools with funds for lab equipment necessary to offer nursing assistant training classes on site.

The Walz-Flanagan Administration plans to use $3.5 million in federal American Rescue Plan funding to pay for the CNA program. The Legislative COVID-19 Response Commission will review this request.

According to data from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, nursing assistants are the sixth highest in-demand job in the state. This need has only been exacerbated by the pandemic, and the current pipeline of students pursing a CNA credential is not poised to meet the demand.

Statewide enrollment data shows that of the over 11,500 students enrolled in CNA programs between 2017 and 2020, only 5,100 of them completed a CNA credential. Of the remaining students, only 1,500 were still enrolled in a CNA program in fall 2020. Helping these students complete their program, and increasing the number of students pursuing a CNA credential, is critical for the state.

Governor Walz is implementing a multi-faceted action plan to support Minnesota hospitals and long-term care facilities deal with staffing shortages and a spike in COVID-19 cases.

Since October, Governor Walz has:

· Secured federal emergency staffing teams to support staff at three Minnesota hospitals;

· Worked with long-term care facilities to launch three alternative care sites to accept non-critical patients from hospitals. The sites – in Shakopee, Brainerd, and Saint Paul – have made 88 beds available for non-emergency patients, allowing hospitals to transfer patients and provide acute care to those who need it most;

· Activated 400 members of the Minnesota National Guard to serve as a skilled-nursing “response teams” that will support skilled-nursing facilities experiencing severe staffing shortages;

· Made $50 million in federal American Rescue Plan funding available for immediate emergency grants to long-term care facilities to hire and retain employees;

· Expanded the Emergency Staffing Pool so that short-term emergency temporary staff could be used to open up additional long-term care beds for patients ready to be discharged from a hospital; and

· Directed the Department of Human Services to free up capacity at state-operated long-term care facilities.

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