Evaluation of the Wisconsin Community Health Worker (CHW) Apprenticeship Pilot Program: 2016 Progress Report – Draft

Federal data for the United States for the fiscal year 2015 show 1,903 active apprentices in the health care and social assistance industry. In 2010, the federal Department of Labor designated Community Health Workers an Apprenticeable Trade. The State of Wisconsin has one of the nation’s strongest Apprenticeship programs overall (Table 1), giving way to the opportunity to develop a nationally-significant model CHW Apprenticeship Program. Following this trend, a group of Wisconsin Health Care Employers, Community Health Worker Coalitions and advocates, are seeking to pilot test a formal apprenticeship program for community health in partnership with the state health department, State Department of Workforce Development (DWD), community-based organizations, educational institutions, and other stakeholders.