Health Care Training for ME: Training for Current Health Care Workers

Department of Labor

Health care employs more workers than any other job sector in Maine, yet critical worker shortages existed in Maine prior to the pandemic and have been exacerbated by it. These shortages limit access to quality care, particularly in behavioral health and long-term care; increase costs; and affect Maine's ability to attract talented workers since quality health care is often a priority for relocation.

The Training for Current Health Care Workers program - a component of the broader Health Care Training for ME partnership - will help people who work in the health care field gain skills and develop careers with their employer by providing financial support to attain advanced health care credentials. The ability to earn credentials while on the job will allow health care workers to progress in the profession, leading to better paying jobs for them and improved health care services for Maine people. The program lowers barriers to training and education by providing the training free of charge to interested employees – as opposed to tuition reimbursement which requires upfront, out-of-pocket spending. Further, by investing in training and credential attainment for current frontline health care workers, the program will help improve retention rates and increase the average wage among health care workers. The program will work with employers across sectors and size, including the long-term care, hospital, behavioral health and dental sectors.