Traditional workforce development models often fail because they don’t address personal barriers to success, such as housing, transportation and childcare, that workers in the nursing home sector – where many are single mothers – face in maintaining employment.
While staffing has improved over the last year, these common life struggles threaten the stability of the long-term care workforce. In fact, studies draw direct connections between parenting, mental health well-being and holding onto a job, underscoring the importance of tackling such issues for the longevity of the labor pool.
And that’s where the Dwyer Workforce Development (DWD) plans to make a dent, according to the organization’s president and CEO Barb Clapp.
Clapp, who said DWD has seen success in recognizing and helping workers overcome personal struggles, sat down with Skilled Nursing News to discuss the organization’s winning game plan for addressing these issues head on and ensuring that participants of its program can focus on training, job placement, and retention.
Last year, DWD provided $1.3 million in support for job training and over 42,000 Lyft rides for their trainees, or “scholars.”
Clapp also highlighted DWD’s goal in building “health care villages” – multi-income housing with on-site childcare and resource centers – especially in economically distressed areas. This approach ensures scholars have stable housing and support as they upskill or continue their education.
“We are in the midst of building what I call health care villages,” Clapp said. “We’re doing them in definitely at-risk areas and where this allows our scholars to get the housing during a time when they want to upskill [and] back off work for more schooling.”
One of DWD’s key areas of focus has been strengthening its case management teams to make them more person-centered.
Due to the increase in the number of enrollees, DWD’s case management department was reorganized into three sections to include a training support center. This center is the first point of contact for potential trainees, with contact made within 24 hours of an interview to assess barriers such as childcare, transportation, and housing insecurity. The center also evaluates if a health care career is the right fit for a candidate.
Once scholars are assessed, they are placed in a training program and supported by case managers who then help them navigate the challenges of daily life, teaching them work readiness, personal safety, and overcoming housing issues. And, after nine months, the program introduces career counseling to help scholars explore career advancement opportunities beyond their initial certifications, including paths to becoming a registered nurse (RN) or licensed practical nurse (LPN).
DWD has also made significant improvements in its backend operations, ensuring they have the data and staffing necessary to support their workforce development model. These efforts are proving effective in growing the workforce pipeline and helping scholars achieve long-term success, Clapp said.
All in all, DWD has been able to train and support around 6,000 workers through growing partnerships with providers since its inception in 2021.
Below are highlights of the RETHINK podcast’s episode with Barb Clapp, edited for length and clarity. Subscribe to RETHINK via Apple Podcasts, or SoundCloud.
SNN: What’s your sense for staffing pressures? Have they eased as we begin 2025?
Clapp: The staffing pressures are terrible. Recently released statistics show that more than 90% of nursing homes need staff now, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that more than 275,000 additional nurses will be needed from 2020 to 2030.
Staffing continues to be of concern. We have found that the skilled facilities that we are placing our Dwyer scholars in are actually in very good shape, and that makes me very happy. Many of them have stopped using any kind of agency nurses. And while these facilities, where Dwyer scholars are, are not struggling, a majority are struggling.
[Staffing issues] will continue to raise concerns because over 10,000 Americans turn 65 every day, and about 62 million aging adults require increased care and support.
SNN: Which regions have you expanded to recently? Can you name some organizations you are working with currently?
Clapp: So we’re in Maryland, Texas and Florida. And some of the organizations we are working with are FutureCare, Lorien Health Services, Touchstone Communities, PruittHealth, Elevate Care, and Pines of Sarasota.
They’ve been really great partners for us because they know, and we know, that it takes both of us working together to help our scholars be successful and achieve the retention that we have to date.
SNN: Can you please share some metrics on your success?
Clapp: So 81% of our Dwyer scholars have completed a CNA, and 86% have been placed in nursing facilities, and they’ve achieved over $31 million in annual earnings. In 2024, we trained 3600 Dwyer scholars. And to date, since 2021 we’ve trained 6,000.
SNN: What role does technology play in alleviating staffing challenges, and how can nursing homes leverage advancements in technology to enhance workforce management and efficiency?
Clapp: Technology can be vital in supporting engagement with our scholars. We have a Dwyer scholar app that we created as soon as we became a nonprofit. And we use that app to communicate with our scholars every day on tools that they can use to be successful at their job. So when they do engage with us [via the app], they actually get points for engaging. And they can go to a virtual store, and they can buy things for their families, toys or food or gift certificates. And some of our scholars treat themselves to a spa, which is really nice. They like that. So that’s technology we use for scholars.
Obviously, technology in the facilities is really super important. There are so many things that technology has allowed us to do that has streamlined operations and should be embraced. So we’re always looking at new ways to enhance the scholar’s journey, both in a facility and with our program.
To listen to the complete episode, click below:
Companies featured in this article:
Dwyer Workforce Development, Elevate Care, FutureCare, Lorien Health Services, Pines of Sarasota Foundation, PruittHealth, Touchstone Communities