The American healthcare industry faces complex workforce challenges, including talent shortages and increasing demand for services. To meet these demands, employers are increasingly turning towards Registered Apprenticeship as a proven solution for recruiting, training, and retaining world-class healthcare talent in good, quality jobs.
“Participants in our Direct Support Professional Apprenticeship Program demonstrate pride of accomplishment that is reflected in the quality of the work that they perform. They raise the bar for other staff, showing a deep understanding of their work and all it requires. They are more insightful, less reactive, and betterattuned to the needs of the individuals they support, making them true assets to the organization and a joy to manage.”
Jean M. Phelps, CEO, LifeLinks, Inc.
High-Demand Apprenticeship Occupations

- Dental Assistant
- Emergency Medical Technician / Paramedic
- Medical Coder
- Certified Nurse Aide
- Pharmacist Assistant
- Long-Term Care Nurse Manager
To explore more apprenticeship occupations in the Healthcare industry, view our Occupation Finder.
Competency-Based Occupational Frameworks
In collaboration with the Urban Institute, we offer national frameworks for occupations in this industry that are consensus based, meaning they are drafted in cooperation with employers, educators, and other workforce and training experts. Employers and businesses can use these frameworks to fast-track the development of their registered apprenticeships. The frameworks are competency based rather than time based, meaning that abilities are emphasized over memorized knowledge or skills. The result is high-quality, competency-based occupational frameworks (CBOFs) that are freely available for all to use. CBOFs are available for the following occupations:
Healthcare Industry Resources
- Healthcare Fact Sheet
- Competency Models for the Healthcare Industry
- A Toolkit for Apprenticeship in Healthcare
- Using Apprenticeship to Build and Fill Career Paths in Health Information Technology
- Apprenticeships in the Healthcare Industry
For more resources, program examples, and marketing materials, go to the Healthcare Community of Practice page.