Grand View University Awarded $3M THRIVE Grant for Healthcare Apprenticeships

April 14, 2023

Grand View University is pleased to have been awarded a $3 million grant by Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, to serve 300 apprentices and help expand health careers across Iowa through the Transforming How Rural Innovation Views Education (THRIVE) project.

Governor Reynolds announced during her Condition of the State address a new round of funding targeted at growing Registered Apprenticeship (RA) programs across high-demand fields in healthcare. Known as the expanded Health Careers Registered Apprenticeship Program – this new funding was put in place to support more programs that help Iowa meet the demand of its healthcare workforce. 

Through a collaborative grant writing effort, Grand View’s Jacobson Institute (JI) partnered with South-Central Iowa Local Workforce Development board leadership to apply for the grant. The Jacobson Institute was awarded the highest amount of all applicants - $3 million. The JI’s executive director, Dr. Lynn Burks, will lead the project.

“We are grateful to the Governor for this opportunity. This innovative model will demonstrate how higher education and public-private alliances can progressively and collaboratively create pathways – pathways to careers, purpose, social mobility, and economic freedom” says Dr. Rachelle Keck, Grand View University President.

The Jacobson Institute brings to the project a partnership with MedCerts, offering certification and credentialing in some of the proposed apprenticeship pathways. This approach equips participants with not only valuable experiences but an opportunity to earn an industry verified credential, creating viable career pathways.

Dr. Burks shares, “The Jacobson Institute was established through a generous gift from the late Dick Jacobson, a well-known Iowa philanthropist, to create innovative strategies that help learners and organizations create a better future world of work and education. The THRIVE initiative is directly aligned with the collective vision of Grand View University and The Jacobson Institute as we seek to provide the right skills at the right time for the right opportunity. It will also allow us to ensure sustainable, long-term economic vitality for Iowa’s healthcare industry.”