UW-Green Bay to Offer New Training Program Aimed at Addressing Caregiver Shortage

Monday, January 23rd, 2023 -- 10:01 AM

(By Joe Schulz, Wisconsin Public Radio) This summer, the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay will offer a new training program aimed at addressing the state's caregiver shortage. 

According to Joe Schulz with Wisconsin Public Radio, about one in four of Wisconsin's long-term caregiver positions are unfilled. That has a direct impact on the care people receive in assisted living facilities, nursing homes, supportive home care, adult day care and respite care.

And a lack of staff can keep facilities from accepting people in need of care. "Because of these vacancies, there's a lack of caregiving staff to provide this care," said Kerry Winkler, a program specialist at UW-Green Bay.

"In 2022, over 18,000 individuals were denied access to long-term care facilities due to the shortage." She said the shortage has been exacerbated by the pandemic and Wisconsin’s aging population.

Baby boomers are beginning to require caregiving services, whether through home health care or assisted living, at a time when the pandemic prompted many to leave the profession, Winkler said.

"COVID definitely took its toll on caregivers, and, unfortunately, caregiving isn't a high paid profession," she said. "I think as wages are rising in other areas, people are leaving caregiving to go into a different profession where they're able to make more money."

To address the issue, UW-Green Bay is developing the state's only training program for caregiver supervisors with the help of an $865,000 grant from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.

The grant was funded by the federal American Rescue Plan Act. The program will offer free tuition for training to an estimated 250 people. Wisconsin currently has no training program for individuals supervising the state's 39,000 caregivers working in home and community based services.

Winkler said part of the aim of the free program is to help managers boost employee retention. Instruction will focus on topics such as conflict resolution, interpersonal communication, critical thinking and operational management skills.

"Our hope is that it will impact supervisors and managers in a way that it helps address the caregiver shortage by really retaining the caregivers that are in the position now, but also attract them to this profession," she said.

Winkler said the program will allow direct care workers to advance their skills into management positions, regardless of whether they have a college degree.

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