New Hampshire Looks to UW-Green Bay for Direct Care Workforce Training
Beginning mid-November, members of the state of New Hampshire interested in providing invaluable direct care services will be trained through the same instruction model offered in Wisconsin. This collaborative training model, developed by UW-Green Bay’s Continuing Education and Workforce Training (CEWT) program in partnership with the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, offers Certified Direct Care Professional training designed to create long-term solutions for the caregiver shortages facing the nation. The program will mirror a Wisconsin program that has certified 4,000 caregivers in 15 months.
“As the American population continues to age, the entire country struggles to keep up with the growing demand for paid caregivers,” said Margie Reichwald, director of the Wisconsin Training Registries with UW-Green Bay’s Continuing Education and Workforce Training program. “The successful training partnership established with the state of Wisconsin for its caregivers has resulted in a significant increase in the number of available and prepared caregivers. Since July of 2023, more than 4,000 additional individuals have registered to become Certified Direct Care Professionals. We’re proud to be a part of a successful training movement that addresses the caregiver shortage in Wisconsin and excited to share our program on a national scale.”
Professionally trained caregivers are on the front line of delivering vital care, allowing people to live as independently as possible when they can no longer do everyday activities on their own. An increase in the older adult population as well as families with children and adults with disabilities contribute to the demand for home health and personal care aides. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, this job demand is projected to grow by 33 percent from 2020 to 2030. That rate of increase is much higher than the average for all occupations.
