Certified nurse assistant (CNA) apprenticeship programs, such as the one offered by the Center for Caregiver Advancement (CCA), are being provided to employees in skilled nursing homes. These programs, which are offered by CCA in partnership with participating nursing home employers, aim to provide employees at all levels with an opportunity to upgrade their skills in the healthcare field while receiving pay during their training period.
CNA Training at No Cost: Tuition and Expenses Are Paid
The three goals of these “earn while you learn” apprenticeships are to:
1) Build a stronger nursing support staff of certified nurse assistants (CNAs) within the nursing facility;
2) Help employees upgrade their skills and increase their earning potential; and
3) Foster employee engagement and loyalty, which reduces staff turnover.
CCA’s CNA Registered Apprenticeship Program has been a game-changer for many employers and their nursing facility employees. The program has prepared much-needed CNAs for their CNA exams, and the demanding roles they play within skilled nursing facilities. The earn-and-learn model inspires higher levels of performance among apprentices. It also increases their productivity and enhances their problem-solving abilities. Because the apprentices become skilled, enculturated, engaged, and loyal employees, apprenticeship programs can help reduce staff turnover and improve recruitment.
A CNA Apprenticeship is an Entryway to a Healthcare Career
Since the first cohort of apprentices started their CNA training through CCA’s apprenticeship program in 2023, more than 225 CNA apprentices have enrolled.
CCA is proud to report that 52 CNA apprentices in our program have moved into CNA roles and are now working at a partner facility. More apprentices have completed their training and are either waiting for the results of their CNA certification exam or in the process of scheduling their exam date. A total of 12 apprentices have enrolled in the licensed vocational nurse (LVN) apprenticeship program. The first LVN apprentices will be graduating in December 2025 and early January 2026.
Duane Esquer, Nursing Home Administrator at College Vista Post Acute (a Sun Mar Healthcare facility) in Los Angeles, said, “The benefit of this apprenticeship program for our facility is that we get to increase our staffing so that we’re not struggling with turnover… This program has had a positive effect on job satisfaction.”
Nursing Facilities Benefit from the CNA Apprenticeship Program
College Vista Post Acute’s parent company, Sun Mar Healthcare, was CCA’s inaugural corporate employer partner for this apprenticeship program. In 2022, CCA received a $14 million High Road Training Partnership (HRTP) grant from the California Workforce Development Board (CWDB) to add 500 CNAs and 12 LVNs to the skilled nursing facility workforce in three years. This initiative was established to help address an industry-wide staffing shortage in skilled nursing facilities. In partnership with employers and the SEIU Local 2015 labor union, the apprenticeship program offers CNA and LVN training at no cost to participants. It guarantees them a job and wage increase when they pass their state exam.
Another employer group, Pursue Healthcare, joined the partnership with CCA in 2023. This group now has several apprentices working as CNAs, with more apprentices on track to completing their classes and passing the state exam. After they pass their CNA exam, they will be promoted to CNA in the months to follow. Additional employers joined the program in 2024 and 2025.
Early Success of the CNA Apprenticeship Led to High Demand
The apprenticeship program was popular from the start. Early success has created a clear demand for the nurse assistant training program: the wait list of interested candidates has grown to over 500.
Chrystal Miranda, an apprenticeship program graduate who is now a CNA at College Vista Post Acute, shared her thoughts about the program. “I don’t think it would have been possible if I did not have this program. I have a daughter at home, so financial stability was always a top priority for me.
Prior to entering the CNA program, Chrystal was struggling financially and having to choose between going to school to train for a career or working odd jobs to make ends meet. “It was awesome that they were able to help me out with this program,” said Chrystal. “I didn’t have to worry about one thing or the other. I could completely focus on just getting my studying done while earning money for it.”
Get Paid to Learn New Skills & Build Toward a Nursing Career
All tuition and related expenses are covered, so program participants do not pay for anything out of pocket. They also receive stipends to cover the cost of child care, transportation, and groceries so they can focus on learning in the classroom and applying their new skills during clinical practices.
The apprenticeship program offers invaluable hands-on experience, allowing learners to work alongside experienced nursing staff. The support doesn’t end there, though. CCA’s CNA program provides one-on-one mentorship to the new CNAs. This helps them build the confidence they need to excel in a healthcare setting.
In addition to mentorship, the new CNAs receive retention bonuses throughout their first six months of employment. They also receive access to free high-quality training through their SEIU 2015 Education Fund. Program graduates are encouraged to continue building their career by accessing free continuing education classes. They can obtain their Restorative Nurse Assistant (RNA) Certificate, get certified in CPR, and access many other training opportunities.
Nursing Home Residents Benefit from the Support of CNA Trainees
Duane Esquer at College Vista Post Acute said that all the elements of the apprenticeship program – especially the partnership between the nursing home employers, the union, and CCA – greatly benefit the workers, the facilities and, most importantly, the residents.
“The students who become Certified Nurse Assistants hit the ground running because they’ve had the education, they’ve had the training, they’ve been working directly with our current staff. So it flows very well,” Esquer says. “We’re invested in their success because when they win, we win. At the end of the day, the residents win the most. They get caring individuals who want to be working in this industry, who want to be a CNA.”
Esquer added that College Vista Post Acute was excited to watch the apprenticeship program grow and continue to succeed. They were eager to help other facilities and companies give people opportunities for careers in healthcare that they may have not had before.
For interested employers or if you are interested in training to prepare for the state exam to become a CNA, reach out to CCA’s Education Fund team at edfund@advancecaregivers.org.
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This blog was updated in April 2025.
