ANN ARBOR, Mich., Nov. 18, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Interoperability Institute (IOI), a 501(c)(3) organization designed to provide the environments, data packs, personas, research and development, and workforce training to scale interoperability for the health information technology (IT) sector, has launched an innovative Health IT Interoperability Apprenticeship Program.
Created to build our future HIT workforce, the apprenticeship program offers hands-on training, mentorship, and skills development opportunities for people who wish to advance within the field. During the 12-month apprenticeship program, apprentices work 20-29 hours per week and follow a hybrid curriculum that includes on-the-job training and related technical instruction.
"As the sharing of health information expands nationally, so do the demands for a skilled workforce," said Mary Kratz, Executive Vice President of Interoperability Institute. "IOI developed the Health IT Interoperability Apprenticeship Program to address the rapidly widening talent gap and ensure the talent supply meets the healthcare industry's current and emerging needs. Our approach provides a very specialized curriculum with direct real-world applications and prepares apprentices for the field in a way that provides unique hands-on experiences within the health IT space."
Launched in July, the apprenticeship program is currently training its first cohort. Comprised of eight apprentices, the program has a national footprint, with apprentices spread across the U.S. IOI is actively engaging with several vendors to train apprentices towards certification. To date, each student has completed over 70 hours of instructional training, including earning high in-demand health IT certifications.
"We have heard from industry partners and know firsthand that it is difficult to find qualified health IT professionals," said Brandi Briones, Senior Program Manager of Workforce Development. "Building off the lessons learned in our Workforce Development Program, we designed the Apprenticeship Program to help address the existing talent gap and build awareness at critical stages along the talent pipeline. The program will provide life-changing opportunities, help to diversify our workforce, and give us access to an even bigger pool of talented, qualified, motivated people."
Organizations looking to build their accreditations and those looking for partners to help train their workforce, please contact Brandi Briones at workforcedevelopment@interoperabilityinstitute.org.
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About Interoperability Institute
Interoperability Institute focuses on creating communities and environments that accelerate the adoption of interoperability in ways that result in greater health and more impactful delivery of human services through developing solutions and the next generation workforce to enable organizations and communities to harness the benefits of interoperability at scale. The Institute is as a limited liability company with the Michigan Health Information Network Shared Services (MiHIN) as the sole member. For more information, visit https://interoperabilityinstitute.org/.
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