At the heart of many successful workforce initiatives that nursing homes are pursuing to increase the number of workers is the push for employee well-being and a recognition that many frontline workers face fundamental and systemic barriers to entering the workforce.

To that end, an organization that is enabling skilled nursing providers to grow their labor force and also increase the entry and staying power of workers is Dwyer Workforce Development (DWD). With a mission to bridge the gap between job seekers and employers in the sector, DWD trains and places workers in partner nursing homes – a footprint that is fast growing.

The program’s success is reflected in referral rates to its employee training program. Referral rates have grown “exponentially” in 2024 so that the organization is on track to train approximately 3,600 “Dywer Scholars” – as the trainees are called. This will bring the total of CNAs trained since the program’s inception in 2021 to nearly 6,000 CNAs by year’s end, according to Barb Clapp, CEO of DWD. Clapp sat down with Skilled Nursing News to discuss DWD’s expansion and updates to its program.

‘The secret sauce’

DWD focuses on training and supporting certified nursing assistants (CNAs) in advancing their careers, and its case managers, training support staff, career counselors, and liaisons with partner nursing home organizations have been instrumental in the effort.

“This person-centered case management is the secret sauce,” Clapp said. “We’ve changed the model a little bit. So we have the case managers, and they were doing all of the support of our Dwyer Scholars, start to finish, but we’ve changed it because as we’ve grown. We’ve been able to bring on more staff,” said Clapp.

DWD’s Training Support Center has a team of in-person case managers, who advise trainees or new staff placed through DWD at facilities on matters of daily living and meeting personal responsibilities, including making meals, coaching on parenting, providing daycare, and even arranging cab rides.

“Some of our scholars call their case managers every day and a lot of what [the case managers] do is coaching,” Clapp explained. “When you lack opportunity, you haven’t had a role model [in life], someone who gets up in the morning, fixes a healthy breakfast, gets the kids dressed, is off to work on time, has a positive attitude,” it’s hard navigating a job, said Clapp. “So our case managers sometimes speak to the Dwyer Scholar every day and work with them about how to manage a day.”

Case managers work closely with Dwyer Scholars to help them set and achieve long-term career goals.

The organization’s successful wraparound support services for its scholars rely on a high degree of engagement with case managers and ability to ease stumbling blocks. In the past year alone, DWD has invested $1.3 million in support services, including 42,000 Lyft rides to assist scholars in attending training and work.

Proof ‘secret sauce’ is working

DWD’s program has high completion and placement rates. As of now, 81% of scholars have completed their CNA training, and 86% have been successfully placed in nursing homes. “Our numbers, compared to 17% who stay in a job their first year, are huge. They are higher than national averages,” Clapp said.

All in all, DWD estimates that it has achieved about $31 million in annual earnings for the Dwyer Scholars placed in 2023.

Another successful feature of the program has been the Dwyer Scholar app, which enhances communication and engagement with scholars. The app functions similarly to a fitness tracker but focuses on career development. Scholars can participate in challenges, track their progress, and earn rewards such as food vouchers and spa certificates. This technology helps maintain motivation and ensures continuous support for individuals even after they have completed their training, Clapp said.

Beyond providing frontline workers, DWD’s program also emphasizes career advancement by providing pathways to further education and higher-level roles. At nine months post-placement, scholars are offered career counseling to explore opportunities for upskilling, such as obtaining a GED or advancing to roles like licensed practical nurse (LPN) or registered nurse (RN).

“Our goal is to get them to be LPNs and RNs and LVNs, if we can. But to get there, it’s a heavy lift, so they have to take baby steps,” Clapp said. “Our goal is to take people out of challenging financial circumstances, and bring them to a place of wealth where their families can be better and they can have first generation grads. We want to give them hope and a reason to have joy,” Clapp said.

Expansion efforts

DWD’s network of nursing home organizations includes Lorien Health Services in Maryland, Touchstone Communities in Texas as well as PruittHealth, Elevate Care, and Pines of Sarasota, all three based in Florida, to name a few. These collaborations are crucial in ensuring that trained CNAs are placed in facilities where they are needed most.

In addition to Texas, Maryland and Florida, DWD is set to launch initiatives in Chester City, Pennsylvania, in collaboration with Widener University. This new partnership aims to support a community with significant health care needs, enhancing local employment opportunities and addressing disparities in access to quality care.

“We are about to launch in Chester, Pennsylvania, which is a community that struggles with people who lack opportunity, and there’s a lot of health care facilities in that area too. And so, it’s a good match for us,” said Clapp.

The model follows DWD’s work in West Baltimore and East Baltimore – two areas of the city that had been particularly underserved and lacked infrastructure, resources, job opportunities, which are common challenges in areas facing systemic poverty.

“Our mission starts with providing comprehensive support to individuals who lack opportunity, and most residents of West and East Baltimore are without access to opportunity – and many of our Scholars live in these neighborhoods – so we have an increased presence. We serve Scholars throughout Baltimore City and County,” Clapp said.

These partnerships are designed not only to provide job placements but also to support long-term career development.

DWD has plans to keep expanding across the country. As DWD grows, expansion into neighboring states, including Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, Georgia, and Alabama, is likely next, Clapp said.