November 7, 2025

The President’s Message is published in the MHA Weekly News Report, a member only publication of the Montana Hospital Association. To subscribe, click here.

The Association continues to hold its fall series of region meetings across the State. I wrote last week about the updates from the Montana Primary Care Office on changes to HPSA scores. (If you missed it, you can read it here.)

We’ve also been joined by staff from the Montana Department of Labor and Industry (MTDLI) Workforce Services Division, Division Administrator Crystal Armstrong and Director of Apprenticeship Glen Disque. Crystal has provided an overview of 406JOBS, a new workforce initiative of the Gianforte Administration. Healthcare is one of the priority industries identified in the JOBS406 initiative, based on projections that it will have one of the highest number of job openings without qualified Montanans to fill them in the coming years.

Glen dove into the apprenticeship programs. He’s quick to point out that apprenticeships are neither shortcuts nor are they licensing loopholes. Actually, they tend to be a more arduous path: in an apprenticeship, the training and education includes a full-time job.

So what does a healthcare apprenticeship in Montana look like? It’s a training pathway for high-demand jobs that is driven by industry and led by the employer. Glen works with you to tailor the apprenticeship to your organization: the job you need filled, the wage you can pay, and with the prospect/s you have in mind. He’s worked with hospitals of all sizes across the state, upskilling staff into positions such as LPNs, CNAs, pharmacy techs, surgical techs and lab techs. But the list doesn’t end there. Need a facilities director? They can design a program for that.

Each apprenticeship is a minimum of 2,000 hours (approx. one year) of work in the position and 144 hours of technical instruction. The technical instruction is arranged by MTDLI, and often is fully remote. Each apprenticeship also includes a wage scale, with apprentice pay starting at 50% of the position wage and increasing at certain milestones as the apprentice grows in their knowledge and expertise. This feature clearly demonstrates the earning potential of the position to the apprentice. It also helps with program completion and position retention.

For the apprentice, there are other perks. They get to cut out the extra courses colleges often require; they get paid while they get their education; and they get to stay in their home community.

For employers, it’s a way to fill positions that often can’t pay enough to attract new people to your community, especially those with skyrocketing housing costs. It’s also an excellent way to “grow from within” and ensure advancement opportunities for people on every step of your compensation ladder.

If you have questions about the program, please reach out and we’ll be glad to connect you to MTDLI staff.