ST. PAUL -- Minnesota’s free Nursing Assistant Training Program will continue into 2023.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has announced a $2.4 million investment in the Next Generation Nursing Initiative, which provides Minnesotans free training, books, uniforms, and more. Since December 2021, the initiative has trained over 1300 Minnesotans to work in the state’s nursing homes, hospitals, and veterans’ homes.

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Devinder Malhotra is the chancellor of Minnesota State. He says the program is still addressing a critical need in the state.

The Next Generation Nursing Assistant program is symbolic of how responsive our colleges and universities are when meeting critical workforce needs in Minnesota. I am very grateful for the hard work of our faculty, our staff, and our students. We deeply appreciate the leadership of Commissioner Olson and our partnership with the Minnesota Office of Higher Education that made the success of this program possible.

The investment comes from the state’s COVID-19 Management Appropriation Fund and will fund the program through February 2023.

Patti Cullen, president and CEO of Care Providers of Minnesota supports the program.

With unprecedented numbers of vacant nursing assistant positions throughout the long-term care sector, we are pleased to hear there will be additional funding for no-barrier, nursing assistant training via this initiative. We need to do all we can to prepare the next generation of professional caregivers to meet the increasing demands of Minnesota’s aging population. We look forward to working with the Administration to ensure that newly certified nursing assistants find meaningful employment in Minnesota’s nursing facilities and assisted living facilities.

The Next Generation Nursing Initiative offers courses online, in-person, and in a hybrid format.

For more information on the program, click here.

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