UW-Green Bay and Wisconsin Department of Health Services leading the way in Wisconsin’s crusade for caregivers
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 1, 2023
A much-needed new training program launches in August
Green Bay, WI — Wisconsin’s direct caregiving workforce is the backbone of home and community-based services. As the academic partner with the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS), together, DHS and UW-Green Bay have created a new, free program to provide caring individuals a streamlined path to successfully become a certified direct care professional (CDCP).
Today, one in four direct caregiver positions is vacant. Wisconsin is projected to need an additional 20,000 home care workers by 2024.The certification program is the most comprehensive training available nationally, and DHS and UW-Green Bay have an ambitious goal to certify at least 10,000 new workers in direct care. Learn more about the program and its impact by watching this video.
Sign-up for the certification is open now. The training is free, and new sign-ups can also earn a $500 bonus. Caring individuals can make life better for older adults or people with disability by learning essential skills they can use in a variety of roles. The certification program also lets employers know workers have the skills and professionalism needed to thrive in their jobs.
Employers of direct care professionals can also get involved in boosting the skills of their employees or recruiting new employees by registering as a CDCP employer. The DHS website for the certification program has been designed as a one-stop online portal featuring job postings, candidate profiles, credentialing details, training opportunities, a resource library and more. It will also include a function to auto-match employers with job seekers.
To learn more about the program, please visit WiscaregiverCDCP.com. If you have any questions about the training curriculum, please contact Margie Reichwald, Director, Wisconsin Training Registries, at 920-465-2321 or reichwam@uwgb.edu.
Wisconsin Training Registries at UW-Green Bay was established in 2016 to help DHS to train and accredit caregivers in Wisconsin to ensure older Americans are provided the quality care they deserve. The Division of Continuing Education and Continuing Education (CECE) provides oversight of the Wisconsin Training Registrations.
About UW-Green Bay
Established in 1965, UW-Green Bay is a public institution serving more than 9,600 undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students and 80,000 continuing education learners each year. We educate students from pre- college through retirement and offer 200+ degrees, programs and certificates. UW-Green Bay graduates are resilient, inclusive, sustaining and engaged members of their communities, ready to rise to fearlessly face challenges, solve problems and embrace diverse ideas and people. With four campus locations, the University welcomes students from every corner of the world. In 2021, UW-Green Bay was the fastest-growing UW school in Wisconsin. For more information, visit www.uwgb.edu.
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