PROGRAM OVERVIEW

In November 2020, Wellstar Health System launched an “earn while you learn” Certified Nursing
Assistant (CNA) training program that offers adults both entry and access to healthcare careers
by paying them upfront for their participation—which provides income for the training period—
and a condensed training period that better fits their life circumstances.
While participating, adult students gain certification from a technical school during the initial 5-8
weeks, then apply what they learned while working in the medical surgery unit of WellStar.

PROGRAM IMPACT

Typical turnover at the CNA level was around 68%, according to Natalie Jones, Executive
Director of Workforce Development for Wellstar. However, 328 participants have graduated from
the program since its launch, and the turnover rate has been reduced by more than half to an
average of 29%.

INNOVATION

In addition to the shortened timeframe for training, participants are paid on the front end for
their participation. Jones says the “beauty of it is we are paying them up front and in good faith
that they will succeed.”

PARTNERS

• Technical College System of Georgia
• Marietta City Schools.

LESSONS LEARNED

Students are more successful if they
understand the nature of the work
upfront and that they need to develop
milestones and incentives along the
way to keep students engaged and
motivated. Jones says they also intend
to offer more robust wraparound
services such as childcare and
transportation in the future.

“We can build employer loyalty starting at the
onboarding process by letting participants
know this is a long-term investment for us, and
we are going to surround them with a team that
supports them and wants them to succeed.”
– NATALIE JONES, Executive Director of Workforce Development 

When Workforce Works is an opportunity to tell and highlight successful workforce programs, projects, and initiatives from the MAIP Partner network. These aren’t just any stories about workforce programs, but stories of programs that really get it right – putting industry first, engaging career seekers, and developing deep partnerships – the workforce “secret sauce”. 

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