Gov. Kathy Hochul has awarded $646 million over a three-year period to three workforce investment organizations to train and recruit thousands of mental health, social care and healthcare workers in the state.
Iroquois Healthcare Association, Finger Lakes Performing Provider System and the 1199SEIU Training and Employment Funds are the three organizations to receive funding under the Career Pathways Training program.
"The health of every New Yorker depends on a strong, stable and equitable health care system, and health care workers are its very foundation," Ms.Hochul said in an Aug. 15 news release shared with Becker's. "This investment allows us to continue to retain and grow our healthcare workforce and ensure we deliver the highest quality healthcare for New Yorkers."
The funding comes after Ms. Hochul paid up to $3,000 per person to more than 800,000 state healthcare workers since 2022 through the Health Care Worker Bonus Program, totalling more than $2 billion.
The funding will also be used to help support tutoring and academic programs like apprenticeship and mentorship. It will also aid in job readiness and placement; help with tuition program fees, textbooks and supplies; and help with holding educational programs for new workers, like assistance with application and enrollment.