Gadsden State to host event signaling first RN Apprenticeship Program in state

Gadsden, Ala.—Gadsden State Community College will host a signing event for one of the first apprenticeship programs for registered nurses in Alabama. It will be at 2 p.m. June 23 at Beck Field House on the Wallace Drive Campus.

The new program is being piloted at Gadsden State and Coastal Alabama Community College. It allows healthcare employers to enter into an apprenticeship agreement with a sponsoring community college. Students who apply and are accepted as nurse apprentices serve as employees of the healthcare facility and work alongside an experienced nurse.

The event will include signing contracts with Riverview Regional Medical Center in Gadsden and Rehab Select, nursing homes located in Albertville and Talladega, as the first employers with the program. There are 25 students participating in the inaugural cohort. Students will also sign employment contracts.

Kenneth Kirkland, dean of Gadsden State’s health science programs, will provide more details about the program at the signing event.