New medical assistant apprenticeship launches in Brunswick County

BOLIVIA, NC (WWAY) — Cape Fear Workforce Development and Brunswick Community College have launched a new Clinical Medical Assistant Registered Apprenticeship in partnership with Dosher Memorial Hospital and ApprenticeshipNC.

The apprenticeship was approved through ApprenticeshipNC and follows nationally recognized apprenticeship standards. Participants will earn a wage while developing technical skills and practical experience for a career in healthcare.

Under the program’s learn-while-you-earn model, apprentices will work full time at Dosher Memorial Hospital while completing structured on-the-job training and classroom instruction through Brunswick Community College’s Clinical Medical Assistant program.

Cape Fear Workforce Development is helping coordinate the regional workforce partnership.

“This is exactly the kind of collaboration the Workforce Development Board is designed to support,” said Brian Jackson, director of Cape Fear Workforce Development. “Our role is to bring the right partners together, create space for collaboration and help turn shared workforce challenges into solutions.”

According to ApprenticeshipNC, employers participating in registered apprenticeships have reported five-year post-completion employee retention rates of more than 90%. Apprenticeship completion rates average between 70% and 80%, according to the agency.

The program is also intended to help employers reduce turnover, improve productivity and develop skilled workers.