The Milwaukee Area Healthcare Alliance (MAHA) is a partnership between the YWCA of Greater Milwaukee and the Milwaukee Area Health Education Center (Milwaukee AHEC).  Responding to the growing demand for healthcare professionals in Southeast Wisconsin, MAHA has created a training program to help prepare interested and qualified individuals for Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) careers.

The Training

Qualified candidates are selected for the eight week program after meeting education criteria, background checks, and drug testing. The training begins with Milwaukee AHEC staff delivering an introduction to CNA careers in an interactive format. This is followed by a two week program at the YWCA of Greater Milwaukee where participants complete a career readiness training module focused on developing a wide range of skills from communication, workforce, and financial management, to team building and mock interviews with real employers.

The final six weeks of the program are spent at Amber House where participants gain hands on knowledge and experience in CNA specific duties.  

Follow Through

The program doesn’t end there.  Participants are assisted with interviews and locating a job once their training is complete.  Partnerships with CNA employers such as Stowell Associates SelectStaff, Inc. ensure participants are prepared for employment and are placed quickly after completing the program.

Program Funding

A $75,000 grant from the United Way’s Employment and Training Initiative helps cover the cost of drug testing, transportation, scrubs, shoes and other equipment and materials needed for training. They also provide a $155 a week stipend for participants during the six week CNA training. The stipend helps provide supplemental income for resources such as housing while the participants prepare for employment. A training grant from WIA has been utilized to cover CNA training costs. 

Innovatively combining both public and private funds, MAHA has laid the foundation for a successful healthcare sector based workforce development program with the unique feature of not only responding to the specific needs of an employer, but in also involving an employer from the beginning of the training. The outcome is training participants who are “employment ready” and an appreciative employer who is willing to hire as many of the program completers as capacity will allow.