RECRUITING, TRAINING, AND HIRING CNAs FOR ALASKA

Helping You Hire: CNA Earn & Learn Program

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AHHA received a grant from the State of Alaska's Department of Labor and Workforce Development to expand efforts supporting the recruitment, training, and hiring of CNAs. The funding supports a "work first" model where facilities hire a CNA trainee and pay their wages while the employee works to become a certified nursing aide. Participating facilities will be reimbursed up to $4,000 for each hired employee to help defray the costs of becoming a CNA, including wages, training, books, supplies, finger printing, background checks, testing, and certification fees. Facilities can utilize their own training programs or send trainees to an outside program.

 

AHHA is leading a multi-channel communications campaign to support facility recruitment, using social media, digital and print advertising and marketing strategies to promote statewide CNA training and employment opportunities.

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How It Works

• Facilities will hire a person into a CNA trainee / unlicensed nurse aide role (ideally a paid position to reduce the obstacle of not having income while in training) and then help to arrange for a background check, first aid/CPR certification, and CNA clinicals/training and exam.

• Facilities may request reimbursement up to $4,000 of eligible expenses for each hired employee.

 

How to Participate

The program will officially launch in September, 2022 and will run through June, 2023.

The following forms are required for participation:

• Facility Participation Form

• Expense Reimbursement Request Form - expense and progress report for each CNA trainee
  (if you are unable to access this online form, you may download a pdf file to complete and submit.)

• STEP Grantee Participation Application (State of Alaska) - Each CNA trainee will need to complete this form.

Instructions for filling out the STEP Participant Application Form:
Most of the questions are straightforward, but there are a few questions on page 2 in the Eligibility Assessment and Eligibility Criteria sections that require specific answers:

> Needs the training to remain a self-sufficient wage earner? Please answer Yes.

> Are you employed? Please answer Yes if you are employed by the facility that is training you.

> Are you an Alaska Resident who has resided in the state for the past 30 days and plans to remain in the state indefinitely? The answer should be Yes.

> Have you worked in a position that contributed to Unemployment Insurance in Alaska or another state with similar provisions sometime in the last five years? Please answer Yes.

> If the CNA trainee has received even one paycheck, they have contributed to unemployment insurance.

> In need of training to improve the prospect of obtaining or retaining employment? Please check this last box in the Eligibility Criteria section.

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Click here to watch a recording of an informational webinar held August 31 - password: G1hzG#77.

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If your facility is interested in participating, please contact Sara Bloom, AHHA's Office Manager, at sbloom@alaskahha.org.

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The State Training and Employment Program (STEP) is administered by the Alaska Department of Labor and

Workforce Development, Alaska Workforce Investment Board (AWIB) and funded by a set-aside from the

Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund. The purpose of STEP is to enhance the quality and make Alaska job

training and employment assistance easily available to employers, employees, and future workers.

This "CNA Earn & Learn" project is STEP funded at 100%.