The American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) Foundation, American Hospital Association (AHA), American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA), and the National Center for Healthcare Leadership (NCHL) have joined together to form the Healthcare Workforce Consortium (HWC), which has received notification of a $7.1 million award from the U.S. Department of Labor's Employment & Training Administration that positions the HWC as the Healthcare Sector Intermediary for apprenticeships.

The U.S. Department of Labor is awarding more than $20.4 million in contract awards to 14 national industry intermediaries and national equity partners to expand apprenticeship opportunities across the U.S. as part of a historic investment in apprenticeship programming in various industries, including health informatics, health information management, health information technology and other healthcare professions, construction, transportation and logistics, manufacturing, and communications technology, and they will support increasing demographic diversity and inclusion in apprenticeship among traditionally underrepresented populations.

Changes in technology, social constructs and values, and legislation and regulatory factors in the U.S. have redefined what health professionals do, where they work, and how they work. The Healthcare Sector Intermediary initiative will help address the growing gap between academic training and competencies and the skills needed to ensure workforce readiness. Apprenticeship is a way for employers to build the talent they need to compete and grow and for workers to gain the skills and credentials that put them on the path to successful careers.