Dr. Sulbrena Day

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, it exposed a healthcare crisis that had been building for years. Hospitals and long-term care facilities across the region were already struggling with severe workforce shortages. COVID made those shortages impossible to ignore. As frontline healthcare workers left the field in large numbers, employers faced unprecedented vacancies in roles that were essential to patient care.

Dr. Sulbrena Day saw this emergency clearly. As Administrator of Midwest Career Source, she understood the long-term risks to both the healthcare system and the communities it serves. In response, she and her colleagues created a Registered Apprenticeship Program designed to rebuild the healthcare workforce and provide meaningful opportunities for individuals looking to enter the field.

“We knew we had to act,” Dr. Day recalls. “Our healthcare partners were telling us how desperate they were. Apprenticeship became the bridge between what employers needed and what job seekers needed.”

Why Registered Apprenticeship?

Dr. Day and her team approached hospital leaders, long-term care facilities, and healthcare employers with a simple question: What do you need, and how can we help you build it?

The response was immediate and enthusiastic. Employers across the region signed on quickly, relieved to see a structured solution for filling positions that had remained vacant for months. The Registered Apprenticeship Program was designed to address three critical entry-level positions that healthcare partners identified as most urgent: Behavioral Health Technician, Certified Nursing Assistant, and Emergency Room Technician.

As employer needs continued to evolve, Clinical Medical Assistant and Phlebotomy Technician was added as a new apprenticeship pathway, further strengthening the regional healthcare talent pipeline.

Through this effort, three major hospital systems and numerous nursing homes partnered with Midwest Career Source, forming a regional coalition committed to talent development and long-term career mobility.

“We wanted to create career pathways that start with entry-level positions and lead to advanced roles,” Dr. Day explains. “When apprentices grow into registered nurses or physicians, those entry roles open again further creating the continued need. Apprenticeship helps us replenish the talent pipeline while supporting people on their educational journey.”

Program Growth and Impact

Since launching, the apprenticeship initiative at Midwest Career Source has become one of the region’s most effective healthcare workforce solutions. The program has served more than two hundred apprentices, with every apprentice securing employment upon entry into the training program. Exam pass rates for state certification remain exceptionally strong, and apprentices demonstrate high levels of job retention, often staying with their original employers beyond the required program period.

The impact is even more significant because of who the program serves. Many apprentices arrive with barriers such as unemployment, housing instability, limited education, or family responsibilities. Apprenticeship gives them a structured, supported path to long-term employment and financial stability. For employers, this means a more reliable and better prepared workforce. For communities, it means increased access to healthcare staff who understand and reflect the populations they serve.

Strengthening the Mission

Apprenticeship has expanded Midwest Career Source’s mission, partnerships, and visibility. It has strengthened relationships with healthcare employers, expanded collaboration with training institutions, and redefined what workforce development can look like in the region.

For Dr. Day, the most meaningful progress is the impact on people. Her background as a Registered Nurse in hospital administration, public health, trauma-informed practice, and systems leadership shapes every part of the program. Apprentices receive coaching, case management support to navigate social, mental and emotional barriers, tutoring, trauma informed classroom approach, and career guidance that help them succeed both personally and professionally. Dr. Day often reminds her team that education is not a destination but a journey. Through apprenticeship, individuals who once doubted their potential now see themselves as professionals with a future in healthcare.

“Our role is to walk beside people,” she says. “When individuals feel supported, they rise.”

Benefits for Employers and Communities

Participating healthcare partners report increased retention, more dependable staffing, and stronger workforce morale. Apprentices bring compassion, resilience, and a commitment to service that enhances patient care and workplace culture.

Apprenticeship also creates workforce stability. In roles where turnover was once constant, employers now see staff who grow within their organizations and become long-term contributors. This stability improves continuity of care, patient outcomes, and the overall strength of the healthcare system.

Looking Ahead

Dr. Day has a clear and ambitious vision for the future. Midwest Career Source plans to expand its healthcare pathways, grow the number of employer partners, and bring Registered Apprenticeship opportunities to local high schools. The organization is also examining additional pathways in allied health as employer demand continues to rise.

The recent addition of the Phlebotomy Technician track reflects this evolving vision. As healthcare roles diversify, Midwest Career Source remains committed to developing new opportunities that help individuals enter and advance within the healthcare field.

“We are building a system that will last,” Dr. Day says. “Apprenticeship gives people access, support, and a path to grow. When individuals rise, communities rise with them.” “We are more than what you see.”

“Apprenticeship works because it gives people both opportunity and support. When you invest in individuals who have been overlooked, they do more than succeed. They thrive.”
— Dr. Sulbrena Day