This page focuses on the continuum of programs and resources dedicated to developing the health care workforce in the nine-county Finger Lakes region. We share information on the pipeline from grades 6-12 education, to higher education and employer-based training. Statewide funding and other community-based resources are also shared.
We hope this information helps those interested in pursuing a career in health care or employers looking to build a strong health care workforce.
Click on the arrow beside each heading to explore examples of the following types of workforce programs.
| Organization/Program Name | Focus |
| The Hive, funded by Monroe County ARPA | Youth Workforce Consortium - FREE Academy – Future Ready Employment Education. Health and human services is one of 10 pathways. Each pathway has employer partners, career exposures, immersions, employment, college exposure, college partners. |
| Rochester Regional Health- DEI Initiatives | Scrubs Club, Women in Health Care program offer single-day exposure to health careers |
| Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection | Academic support, job readiness, youth development |
| URMC Teen Health & Success Program | Offers students living in the City employment opportunities at UR, including health care careers. |
| RRH Youth Apprenticeship Program | RCSD 11-12 graders. Paid work up to 16 hours/week. 1-2 years participation. |
| Aging Services Career Exploration Internship Program (CEIP) at Jewish Senior Life | Explore aging services careers (emphasis on nursing, but exposed to other non-clinical areas too) while accruing HS credit |
| Southern Tier BOCES- New Visions |
New Visions Health Careers Exploration - for motivated, college-bound seniors. Intensive program allows students to visit every type of local health care facility and learn about practices including M.D., D.O., P.A., veterinary medicine, nursing, psychiatry, lab technician, nutrition, dentistry, occupational and physical therapy, chiropractic medicine and more. New Visions Human Services and Education Career Exploration |
| Monroe Community College Health-Related Programs for current high school students | Programs have reserved seats for incoming high school seniors: Clinical lab tech, dental assisting, dental hygiene, nursing, radiation tech, surgical tech |
| Organization/Program Name | Focus |
| Rochester Educational Opportunity Center | Sterile processing tech, LPN |
| Genesee Valley BOCES | CNA training. LPN. |
| Greater Southern Tier BOCES | Nurse assisting, dental assisting |
| Wayne-Finger Lakes BOCES | Practical nursing |
| Monroe 2-Orleans BOCES | CNA and HHA programs, Medical laboratory, dental assisting programs. High school programs - WEMOCO, adult programs - Center for Workforce Development |
| Organization/Program Name | Focus |
| FLPPS System Transformation and Community Investment | Clinical support to RN pathway; Behavioral health/Human services support pathway with MCC and 5 regional community colleges |
| Monroe Community College (MCC)- Transforming Lives through Nursing Pathways, funded by Monroe County ARPA | Expand and strengthen the LPN, CNAT&D, HHA, and the Clinical Bridge programs to promote a smoother transition for working LPNs to succeed in MCC’s RN progra. |
| Monroe Community College | Clinical lab tech, dental assisting, dental hygiene, health studies, nursing, nursing options for LPNs, radiologic tech, surgical tech |
| Genesee Community College | Nursing AAS, Health studies AS, PT Assistant AAS, Respiratory Care AAS. Medical Office Assistant Micro-credential |
| SUNY Corning Community College | Nursing AAS, Community and Public Health Education AS, Human Services AS, Direct Support Professional micro-credential. Workforce programs - AAPC Certified Professional Coder, Central Services Tech, Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (online), Certified Dementia Practitioner, Certified Medical Administrative Assistant with Certified Electronic Health Records Specialist + Medical Terminology (Online), Medical Billing and Coding, Certified PT Aide, Math skills for Nursing, Peer Recovery Advocate and Coaching, Pharmacy Tech, Phlebotomy Tech, CNA, RN Refresher |
| Finger Lakes Community College | CNA, HHA, Medical Administrative Assistant, Phlebotomy Tech (Workforce programs). Academic - EMT-Paramedic, Nursing AAS, Nutrition/dietetics, Health Care Studies, Biotechnology |
| Organization/Program Name | Focus |
| SUNY Brockport | BSN; RN to BSN; accelerated BS to BSN; family nurse practitioner |
| Rochester Institute of Technology | Medical Sonography Certificate and BS, Dietetics and Nutrition, Health Systems Admin Certificate, PA BS/MS, Health Care Interpretation MS, Health Informatics. |
| Roberts Wesleyan University | BSN; RN to BSN; social work, Family NP, RN to MS, Nursing Leadership Administration MS, O.T.D. |
| St. John Fisher University Wegmans School of Nursing | BSN; fast track BS to MS; online RN to BSN; MS in nursing; online MS in nursing |
| Nazareth College |
Nursing, OT, PT, Social Work, Speech therapy |
| University of Rochester School of Nursing | BSN; RN to BS online; RN to BS to MS; 12 month accelerated BSN; 24 month accelerated BSN; Accelerated master's. Online prerequisite courses. Nurse Practitioner programs. |
| Bryant & Stratton College |
Associate's and Bachelor's in Nursing |
| Organization/Program Name | Focus |
| Licensed Home Care Agencies | Trainings offered in house, or in coordination with community partners |
| Skilled Nursing Facilities | Trainings offered in house, or in coordination with community partners |
| Healthy Baby Network- Making Meaningful Community Change | Doula program to prevent Black maternal and infant mortality as well as a 15-week mentoring and educational course for fathers (with a focus on previously incarcerated individuals). |
| FLPPS Monroe County ARPA Long Term Care Workforce Program | Recruitment, training, and retention of Home Health Aides, Certified Nursing Assistants, Licensed Practical Nurses, and Registered Nurses through career pathway systems including wrap around support. |
| City of Rochester- FLPPS Community Home Health Aide Training |
Home Health Aide training program |
| Monroe County COMIDA | Investing $300K with 1199 SEIU to create and operate a 1-year training program for current and prospective health care workers. SEIU will place those completing the training in union jobs with benefits including healthcare and childcare opportunities for career advancement |
| URMC School of Nursing -waived tuition | To combat the region’s nursing shortage, the University of Rochester Medical Center and School of Nursing today announced an innovative program to provide a tuition-free nursing education for 33 students per year, with the first cohort expected to enroll in Fall 2023. |
| Rochester Regional CNA training | FREE, five week program. Interested candidates will be considered for hire as a CNA trainee, allowing direct entry into a CNA program. CNA trainees will receive an educational stipend for their participation in the program. |
| In partnership with Monroe Community College, we offer a paid 12-week Certified Nursing Assistant training program. The program pays you while you learn, providing classroom training at MCC, clinical training at MCH, and state certification testing at MCH. Upon successful completion of the program, individuals will transition to full-time employment. | |
| Rochester Regional Health Advance U | Starting April 4, Rochester Regional’s Advance U is available to employees across the health system’s hundreds of New York locations. The program will support Registered Nurses (RNs) to obtain BSN degrees (bachelor’s of science in nursing), and will provide entry-level employees the opportunity to gain skills and earn certifications in in-demand career fields such as Medical Assisting or Medical Coding. Advance U removes the financial burden of education for career advancement. The health system will cover 100% of tuition for degrees and certifications earned through Advance U. |
| University of Rochester Career Pathways program |
Focuses on placing individuals in high-demand positions, and then supporting them by identifying a career pathway within the University, leading to opportunities for growth and higher earning potential. Includes laboratory, nursing and other patient care roles (dental assisting, pharm tech, rad tech, etc) |
| URMC Eastman Institute for Oral Health | Dental Assistant Training Program. Upon completion of the 1-year program, participants will get a guaranteed wage increase, and can pursue a fulfilling and rewarding career path with increased responsibilities and pay along the way. Dental Assistant Career Ladder |
| Rochester Regional Health- Isabella Graham Hart School of Practical Nursing | One-year practical nursing program, associated with Rochester General Hospital |
| Thompson Health CNA training | CNA training program - candidates hired as Thompson Health employee prior to training with expectation of employment as PT or FT CNA once licensed for min. 1 year. |
| Arnot Health Career Education | Arnot Health offers a full range of educational opportunities for careers in healthcare. Explore opportunities in radiology, nursing, emergency medical services, and more. |
| Organization/Program Name | Focus |
| 1000 scholarships for SUNY or CUNY nursing programs - ADN or BSN. (500 scholarships for out of state nurses who will relocate; 250 for NY res to pursue A.D.N.; 250 for NY RNs to pursue BSN) | |
| Increasing Training Capacity in Statewide Healthcare Facilities | Solicitation of Interest released March 7, 2023. In development |
| Mental health workforce diversity | Through a partnership with the New York State Office of Mental Health, SUNY and CUNY will each be provided $2 million to support tuition assistance, paid internships, and direct stipends for minority and multilingual students. |
| NYS Social Worker Loan forgiveness | Loan Forgiveness for Licensed Social Workers - Awards are made annually to social workers licensed to practice in New York State who have at least one year of prior employment working in a critical human service area. |
| NY Nursing faculty loan forgiveness | This program seeks to increase the number of nursing faculty members and adjunct clinical faculty teaching in the field of nursing in New York State. |
| DOH Office of Workforce Innovation | Funded in NYS 2022-2023 budget. |
| Organization/Program Name | Focus |
| Western NY Rural Area Health Education Center | Western New York Rural Area Health Education, Inc. (R-AHEC)’s mission is “to improve health and healthcare through education.” R-AHEC addresses the health needs of its rural and underserved communities by focusing on: Workforce Development; Housing; Education; and Health Information Technology Support. |
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FLPPS LMS provides a more cost-effective training solution than a custom build system, allowing orgs to conserve valuable resources for mission work. |
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FLPPS/Common Ground Health Regional Consortium on Health Care Workforce |
The Regional Consortium on Health Care Workforce brings together decision makers and subject matter experts to address workforce challenges faced by health care providers in the Rochester-Finger Lakes region. Co-convened by Common Ground Health and the Finger Lakes Performing Provider System, the consortium is addressing a wide range of issues, such as recruitment, retention, essential skills and competencies, and reducing shortages for key health care positions. |
| FLPPS - Workforce Investment Organization | New York State Managed Long-Term Workforce Investment Program FLPPS partners with three Medicaid managed long-term care plans on numerous initiatives designed to retrain, recruit, and retain healthcare workers in the long-term care sector. |
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Provide daycare services, increase the number of households who have access to daycare, allowing them to accept jobs. Create new child care businesses in the county and reopen a facility. |
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Program that will provide no cost loans or grants to those at or below 200% of the Federal poverty line no cost loans or grants who need transportation to start or keep employment. Support services such as employment coach/mentor and financial literacy. |