HEET Grant Funded Education Programs
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Through WA state funded Hospital Employee Education and Training (HEET) grants, we work with local colleges to create programs for working adults like you that offer unique opportunities and support towards your next career.
Current HEET Programs
Part-Time RN Program Expansion & Pathway Supports at Bellingham Technical College
The Part-time RN Pathway Supports project at Bellingham Technical College aims to meet the needs of incumbent workers who need to work and learn at the same time!
Program partners
This program is a partnership between Bellingham Technical College, SEIU Healthcare 1199NW, PeaceHealth Saint Joseph’s Medical Center, and the Training Fund.
Program
This program is a part-time Registered Nursing program at Bellingham Technical College. The project continues to provide financial and navigational support to students throughout the BTC nursing pathway. This year, the program will respond to the continuous strong demand for flexible nursing programs by:
- Adding 10 seats to the existing part-time RN program at Bellingham Technical College
- Offering part-time classroom and clinical schedules that are designed to work for current healthcare employees
- Adding evening technical support for student labs and simulation work
- Increasing support services for students with specific needs, such as English Language Learners, students with disabilities, and first-generation students
Students can immediately begin pursing this program. Enroll at Bellingham Technical College: www.btc.edu/applyonline
Resources
Training Fund members can apply for tuition assistance, childcare funding, transportation funding, tutoring, and more!
Contact us to learn more:
- SEIU 1199NW Training Fund: Pamela Carpio, Partner Liaison, 425-473-0419
- Bellingham Technical College: Lynne Sherwood-Parker, HEET Grant Coordinator –
Info Sessions
The Training Fund and Bellingham Technical College are onsite monthly at PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center to answer your questions:
- Wednesday March 5th, 10 am – 12 pm at Grounds and Grain
- Tuesday April 2nd, 4 pm – 7 pm at Cafeteria
- Wednesday May 7th, 10 am – 12 pm at Grounds and Grain
- Tuesday June 3rd, 4 pm – 7 pm at Cafeteria
Enhancing and Expanding Medical Assistant Training at Bellevue College with Edmonds College
Expanding Medical Assistant Training!
Program
This program brings together the Bellevue College and Edmonds College Medical Assisting programs to improve the worker-friendliness Medical Assisting programs in the region. Once running, this program will:
- Be more accessible to working adults by offering hybrid course options
- Offer English language support via the Integrated Basic English Skills (I-BEST) program
This program is in a planning year and under development. We encourage you to apply for Training Fund services and we can help you get started to go to Medical Assisting school at either Bellevue College or Edmonds College. Both schools have existing Medical Assisting programs you can apply for and eligible students may also access Training Fund benefits.
Program Partners
SEIU Healthcare 1199 NW, Kaiser Permanente, University of Washington Valley Medical Center
Contact us to learn more:
Nursing Pathways at Highline College with Green River College
Easing the shortage of nursing education access and meeting the needs of incumbent workers!
Program
This project has established a part-time AAS-RN program at Highline college and is establishing a hybrid program for LPN to BSN at Green River College.
- The AAS-RN program will implement hybrid programming and Green River College will work to add a similar type of programming to its part-time LPN to BSN program.
- This year, the number of open seats and clinical placement opportunities have been expanded
- The programs will also offer English language support via the Integrated Basic English Skills (I-BEST) program
Students can immediately begin pursuing the program.
Program Partners
This program is a partnership between Highline Community College, Green River College, SEIU Healthcare 1199 NW, Providence Swedish, University of Washington Valley Medical Center, Virginia Mason Franciscan Health
Resources
Training Fund members can receive ongoing career support and academic pathway navigation. Training Fund members can apply for childcare funding, transportation funding, technology funding, tuition assistance, and more.
Contact us to learn more:
Medical Assistant-Phlebotomy to Medical Laboratory Technician Pathway at Renton Technical College with Clover Park Technical College, Shoreline Community College, and Wenatchee College
Program
Supporting careers in lab sciences!
This HEET project targets healthcare workers in non-clinical positions who would like to train as Phlebotomists (Medical Assistant–Phlebotomy), or healthcare workers in current clinical positions who would like to upskill to Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT). Medical Assistant-Phlebotomy (MA-P) is a short certificate which allows students a quick pathway to begin their careers in phlebotomy, and prepares them to apply for their Medical Assistant-Phlebotomist Certification required to work in Washington State. The MA-P also serves as a bridge to MLT. Students will have the opportunity to continue on from MA-P to complete the prerequisites to transfer to MLT programs at partner colleges.
This program supports healthcare workers who are interested in a career in lab sciences.
- Those who wish to enter lab sciences may begin with an MA-P at Renton Technical College.
- Students who already have their MA-P can go to one of the project partners for their MLT (Clover Park, Shoreline, Wenatchee)
- This program partnership aims to be worker-friendly and offer wraparound support services to help working adults find success in their career progression.
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Students can immediately begin pursuing the program.
MA-P at Renton Technical College
MLT at Clover Park Technical College
MLT at Shoreline Community College
MLT at Wenatchee Valley College
Program Partners
Kaiser Permanente; UW Medicine Valley Medical Center; MultiCare (Auburn Medical Center, Good Samaritan Hospital, Valley Hospital, Deaconness Hospital); SEIU Healthcare 1199NW Training Fund; SEIU Healthcare 1199NW and UFCW 3000.
Resources
Training Fund members will receive education navigation during the program. Training Fund members can apply for tuition assistance, child care support, transportation support, tutoring, and more!
Contact us to learn more:
Respiratory Therapy at Columbia Basin College
To address the Respiratory Therapist shortage, this program will establish an AAS-T degree in Respiratory Therapy at Columbia Basin College. Respiratory Therapy is also a great starting point for people beginning their healthcare careers. The first cohort is slated to run in Fall of 2025.
Not yet accepting applications.
Program Partners
SEIU Healthcare 1199 NW, Columbia Basin College, Kadlec, Trios Health
Contact us to learn more:
Pathways for Returning and International Nurses at Green River College
Program
This new project at Green River College will create:
- A comprehensive Registered Nurse (RN) refresher program
- A comprehensive Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) refresher program
- A specialized internationally educated nurse (IEN) pathway program to provide training for IENs seeking licensure in the U.S.
These programs will update and enhance the skills of nurses who have been out of practice or trained abroad, increasing the pool of qualified nurses in Washington State. These programs will be mostly self-guided, which will allow nurses to work on their coursework at times which are convenient for them.
Not yet accepting applications.
Program Partners
Green River College, SEIU Healthcare 1199 NW, Kaiser Permanente, and UW Valley Medical Center
Contact us to learn more:
HEET Support for Training Fund members
Contact your Regional Education Navigator to learn more (each HEET program has an assigned Navigator – click the programs above to learn more).
Note: HEET funds are considered taxable income. You will need to submit a W9 to the Training Fund, and if you receive $600 or more from the Training Fund within in a given year, we will send you a tax form to use when submitting your annual taxes. Please work with a professional tax accountant if you have further questions.
“Despite the challenges associated with transitioning life to a new country, my passion for the healthcare field is never disappearing.
During the pandemic, I decided to start over from prerequisite courses for nursing. I receive the Tuition Assistance from the Training Fund for most of my tuition and the HEET Grant for my school supplies. As I move forward in my studies and work at the same time, I am eager to accept bigger responsibilities as a nurse to better serve my community.”
“The Training Fund helped me find a tutor for some of the nursing prerequisite courses that were challenging for me. The Training Fund provided me with a ton of resources to help me prepare for the NCLEX. They even helped me pay for gas to get to my clinicals that were sometimes very far away.”
Annelie graduated from the part-time nursing HEET program at Green River College. Her healthcare journey is just beginning. She was recently accepted into the LPN-RN Bridge program at Highline College.
Let us help you cover these HEET-related education expenses!
Childcare
Includes: time related to HEET coursework: studying, time in class, tutor hours, and/or HEET program clinicals.
Does not include: working hours at current employer.
Save copies of all childcare transactions so that you can provide documentation.
Transportation
Includes: trips for class, tutoring, labs, and/or clinicals.
Does not include: trips to/from current employer and workplace.
Save copies of all receipts.
Technology
Might include: purchase of a new laptop / tablet / Wi-Fi device (specifically for HEET project course use), printer, paper, classroom supplies (not otherwise covered by the Training Fund) and more!
Check with your Navigator before purchasing & save copies of all receipts.
How to Request HEET Support Services
- Connect with your Regional Education Navigator to verify eligibility.
- Submit a HEET funding request form.
- After your Request form and all documents have been received & reviewed, the Training Fund will send available funds within 30 days of request approval.
What is HEET?
HEET Grants are used for curriculum development and modification, to fund equipment to train incumbent workers, create systems to grant credit for prior classes, to fund support for students, to create program recruitment and retention, to hold symposiums, and more!
Each year, the Training Fund participates in multiple new and continuing HEET projects that enable our members to achieve their education and career goals.
HEET Grant Objectives
HEET Grants seek to:
- Enhance hospital workers’ access to college education.
- Lead to increased capacity of the college system in nursing and other high demand healthcare fields.
- Bring greater diversity to healthcare workforces.
- Build strong labor/management, healthcare industry, and college partnerships to leverage public and private investment.
HEET Grant Application Process
Community and technical colleges apply for HEET grants and develop proposals for funding. In order to access HEET funding, colleges must collaborate with at least one healthcare employer and one labor partner – and this is where the Training Fund comes in!
The Training Fund has been collaborating with local colleges and union employers for over 10 years to train, educate and support our union members. HEET promotes education pathways that are designed for busy healthcare workers.
Past HEET Education Program Archives
Seattle Central College – How to Become a Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory (Cath Lab) and Interventional Radiology (IR) Nurse
This HEET 15 project in 2022-23 supported nursing pathway development at Seattle Central College for students interested in Cath Lab and IR nursing careers. The project aimed to address the shortage of Cath Lab and IR nurses in Washington. It was a partnership between Seattle Central College, SEIU Healthcare 1199NW, Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, Swedish Health Services, and the Training Fund.
Green River College – Part-Time LPN & Worker-Friendly LPN-BSN Pathway
This HEET 15 project in 2022-23 supported the development of a worker-friendly LPN and LPN-to-BSN program at Green River College. The program featured small class sizes, hybrid learning, a supportive cohort model, and clinical sites and experiences in the community. This program was possible thanks to a partnership between Green River College, SEIU Healthcare 1199NW, UFCW 3000, Kaiser Permanente of Washington, MultiCare, and the Training Fund.
Spokane Community College – Surgical Technician training to Meet Regional Workforce Demand
This HEET 13 program began in 2019 to help members in Eastern Washington earn Surgical Tech certificates with weekend and hybrid courses. The part-time program included a dedicated Training Fund tutor and a licensed active Surg Tech who provided additional academic and practice support to the cohort. It also included HEET grant funded childcare reimbursement and a dedicated college-success navigator partnered with Training Fund navigators to problem-solve and improve persistence. There are two final members graduating from the program in the fall of 2020.
Lake Washington Institute of Technology – Inclusive and Accessible Nursing Pathway through COVID-19 and beyond
This HEET 13 program supported the implementation of a part-time, Saturday Registered Nursing (Associates Degree in Nursing) program at Lake Washington Institute of Technology. The project included a strong support structure for participants including navigation, tutoring, childcare, increased online learning, virtual simulation training, and other student supports through college-based and Training Fund resources. This ADN program was possible thanks to a partnership between Lake Washington Institute of Technology, Kaiser Permanente of Washington, Swedish Medical Center, SEIU Healthcare 1199NW, and the SEIU Healthcare 1199W Multi-Employer Training Fund.
Accelerated Pathways for Internationally-Educated Professionals
This HEET 13 program was a new proposal in its first year. The goal of this project is to address healthcare workforce shortages and skill gaps while increasing diversity by improving healthcare pathways for internationally educated workers. The Puget Sound Welcome Back Center at Highline College in partnership with the Training Fund and union employers is developing an expedited system for career progression to help those trained internationally to earn their certifications. This program is made possible thanks to a partnership between Highline College, the Welcome Back Center, Kaiser Permanente of Washington, SEIU Healthcare 1199NW, and SEIU 1199NW Multi Employer Training Fund.
Bellevue College- Enhancing Nursing Pathways at Bellevue Community College, NA-C Program
Addressing the demand for Registered Nurses! This HEET project seeked to develop a comprehensive pathway into the nursing field for the broader Seattle-Bellevue metro area. It implemented a multi-tier pathway that addresses gaps across the RN pipeline, including reserving spots in the ADN and RN-BSN degrees and creating additional pathways into the NAC and Nursing pre-requisite pathways. This program is made possible thanks to a partnership between Bellevue College, Kaiser Permanente; Swedish Health Services; UW Medicine Medical Center- Northwest Campus; UW Medicine Valley Medical Center; SEIU Healthcare 1199NW Training Fund; and SEIU Healthcare 1199NW.
Enhancing Pathways for Underrepresented Populations at Shoreline Community College
Worker-friendly support in pursuing nursing! This HEET project provided high-impact student support and offered redesigned, equitable curricum to nursing students at Shoreline Community College. New seminars intentionally focused on skills and knowledge that are often gaps in students’ preparedness due to systemic inequalities. Resources supported through this project grant included: a full-time student success navigator; continuation of nursing faculty professional development with a DEI lens; evaluation and refinement of seminar courses; and efforts around data-driven barrier reduction in the admissions process. This program is made possible thanks to a partnership between Shoreline Community College, SEIU Healthcare 1199NW, UW Medical Center – Northwest Campus, Swedish Medical Center, and the Training Fund. It aims to expand diversity, equity, and inclusion in the nursing program.
See what our programs do!
Green River College
Renton Technical College
