Rodham Institute to Launch the “Geriatric Career Builders Registered Apprenticeship Program

WASHINGTON (September 13, 2022) — The Rodham Institute has been awarded a $713,000 grant from The Washington Home, a charitable foundation, to launch the Geriatric Career Builders Program (GCBP), the first-ever, multi-employer, registered apprenticeship program for direct care workers in the District of Columbia.

The program will bring together employers, labor, training schools, and educational institutions to build a workforce of adult learners, residing in the District, specifically in Ward 5, Ward 7, and Ward 8, to meet the health and support needs of the District’s growing senior population. The program is designed to develop a pipeline for entry-level health professionals that offers the opportunity for career advancement and upward economic mobility.

“There is a major shortage of direct care workers in the District and across the country, which has reduced access to quality health care and has had significant adverse impacts on the most vulnerable members of our society, including seniors and individuals who live with disabilities,” said Gigi El-Bayoumi, MD, founding director of The Rodham Institute . “The GCBP provides an on-ramp to high-demand health care careers for adult learners, while filling a critical need in our city.”

“1199SEIU Healthcare Workers East Maryland/DC and the 1199SEIU Maryland/DC Training and Employment Fund are excited to engage with The Rodham Institute’s work on the Geriatric Career Builders Apprenticeship Program.  1199SEIU and the Maryland/DC Training and Employment Fund have experience developing and managing healthcare registered apprenticeships throughout the region. We have witnessed how the “earn as you learn” model of registered apprenticeships assists both new healthcare workers and seasoned professionals begin and advance their careers. Additionally, partnering with our healthcare employers, these programs have been able to close the skills gaps experienced in healthcare settings. This program’s innovative design will train the apprentices, close the employers’ skills gaps, and engage DC residents, offering them a career pathway in a growing healthcare industry.”

The GCBP, conceived in collaboration with the DC Coalition on Long Term Care, targets two groups of potential employees including adult learners and students. Adult learners in the District, particularly those in Wards5,  7 and 8, will receive training and employment opportunities for entry-level healthcare positions in geriatric care and more advanced training to become certified medication aides. Students interested in the healthcare field will have access to financial support, ongoing mentorship, and career coaching to achieve their professional goals.  Notably, embedded within the program is a progressive wage scale that ensures that program participants are compensated at higher levels based upon the acquisition of skills and experience.  

“We all have a role to play in the investment in solutions that address systemic issues like limited staff availability to care for our community’s older adults,” said The Washington Home CEO/CFO Phyllis Dillinger, adding, “[Our organization] is committed to supporting caregivers and the critically ill through strategic funding initiatives with valued partners like The Rodham Institute.”