South Texas College in McAllen is the first college in the nation to offer a registered apprenticeship program for nursing, the organization said July 31.
The college recently earned approval for the program from the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Apprenticeship and Texas Workforce Commission.
Under the "earn-while-you-learn" model, nursing students pursuing their associate degree will be paid a minimum of $14 an hour to train at local partnering hospitals, with incremental increases every semester. Students will also have access to grants to cover tuition or offset other expenses.
Edinburg, Texas-based DHR Health is the first apprenticeship employer that has joined the partnership, which aims to help bridge the gap between education and real-work experience.
"As the sole health system in the country collaborating to offer such an educational opportunity, together with STC, we will provide nursing students hands-on training, job placement and guidance from our experienced healthcare team," DHR Health CEO Manish Singh, MD, said in a news release. "The nursing students will complete the program ready to deliver exceptional nursing care to the community we serve."
The program may start as early as this fall with the first cohort of 20 students.
Learn more here.