Featured News - Current News - Archived News - News Categories

SUNY & CUNY scholarship program to cover tuition for 1,000 new registered nurses

Submitted

Fri, Nov 19th 2021 05:40 pm

Nurses For Our Future Scholarship will fund education of 1,000 new nurses

Gov. Kathy Hochul, at a breakfast hosted by the Association for a Better New York, announced a State University of New York and City University of New York program called the Nurses For Our Future Scholarship that will cover tuition for 1,000 new health care workers to get RNs at SUNY and CUNY. The program comes in an effort to help address the shortage in health care and lack of workers in hospitals around the state.

"Just a year ago, we were celebrating our health care workers as the heroes they are, and the pandemic has shown us that we cannot afford a labor shortage in the health care industry," Hochul said. "I'm proud to announce our new Nurses For Our Future Scholarship as an important step to train more nurses and bring them into our health care system. SUNY and CUNY scholarships move us toward a more prosperous and equal New York, by working to make sure every New Yorker has access to training programs, one-, two- and four-year degrees, community college; SUNY and CUNY should be the pathway to the middle class."

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals have been facing a labor shortage and a massive influx of patients. This scholarship program is designed to recruit and retrain nursing and health care professionals to serve in NYSRNs, which are most in need. There are currently more than 9,300 openings for registered nurses in New York. The Nurses For Our Future Scholarship will mean 1,000 more students can enter a nursing program in either SUNY or CUNY. Students will be able to complete their programs with a flexible schedule, either part-time or full-time.

This effort will incentivize New York residents active in the health care field to upskill their career path and advance their education through the SUNY or CUNY system.

In addition, the New York State Department of Labor will help market these new opportunities to existing and unemployed workers, including opportunities available through regional SUNY Educational Opportunity Centers for entry-level nurse certifications in high demand including certified nursing assistant, licensed practical nurse and nursing home aide.

Job Search Assistance

The New York State Job Bank features nearly 220,000 jobs available today in New York. Users can search by keyword, ZIP code and browse by job title and company name. By using the JobZone job search and career development tool, individuals can plan their future, organize their job search, develop resumes and explore careers.

The Department of Labor also hosts daily live virtual workshops and webinars on relevant topics for job seekers in all industries, like resume writing, job search and interviewing techniques. The agency partners with hundreds of businesses to host virtual career fairs where job seekers can engage with businesses in a job fair setting, browse their available jobs and connect directly with businesses hiring to ask questions, all without leaving home.

For those looking to work part-time, the state has a part-time hiring opportunities job bank listing nearly 30,000 part-time jobs available now in New York sorted by location, job title and company that can also be searched by keyword.

Businesses can use the Department of Labor to access millions of potential job seekers through no-cost programs and services. They can post jobs on the NYS Job Bank through direct indexing from an existing website or post with staff assistance and can get direct access to the NYS Talent Bank with millions of qualified job seekers to meet their hiring needs. They can also sign up to take part in upcoming career fairs or learn about available tax credits and other hiring incentives.

SUNY Chancellor Jim Malatras said, "With more than 70 nursing programs spanning every degree from LPN to BSN and that are found in every corner of New York state as well as online, SUNY stands ready to meet the growing demand for nurses who are the heartbeat of healthcare. We thank Gov. Hochul for her leadership by offering this scholarship incentive to those aspiring to join this noble calling, and for including the option to attend college part time or full time, giving our students the flexibility to manage their education and life responsibilities. SUNY, the largest comprehensive system of higher education, is ready to meet the challenge."

New York State Nurses Association Executive Director Pat Kane, RN, said, "Nobody has put more on the line than those of us on the front line during this pandemic, and Gov. Hochul's visionary investment in helping us rebuild our nursing ranks is exactly the kind of support we need to keep delivering the care New Yorkers rely on. Because the best care is also culturally responsive care, these 1,000 scholarships present an enormous opportunity for us to continue to recruit from all communities around the state, and by seeding them at SUNY and CUNY, they also strengthen our public higher education institutions, making it clear that Gov. Hochul is prioritizing our health care workers and our young people – exactly the type of priorities we need to bring New York back."

Healthcare Association of New York State President Bea Grause, R.N., J.D., said, "It is critically important that we bolster our health care workforce pipeline as quickly as possible. I thank Gov. Hochul for taking this much[needed action to remove financial barriers that could prevent potential nurses of the future from getting the education and training they desire. Today's action is a step toward making sure we have the caregivers New York's communities will greatly need in the years to come."

Hometown News

View All News