HEET Grant Funded Education Programs
Through state grant funding, 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 Pathway Supports at Bellingham Technical College
The Part-time RN Pathway Supports project at Bellingham Tech aims to meet the needs of incumbent workers who need to work and learn at the same time!
This HEET project continues the new part-time Registered Nursing (RN) pathway at BTC, adding key supports tailored for a diverse, part-time student population. Further, the project continues to provide financial and navigational support to students throughout the BTC nursing pathway.
Program partners
This program is a partnership between Bellingham Technical College, SEIU Healthcare 1199NW, PeaceHealth Saint Joseph’s Medical Center, and the Training Fund.
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: Elena Bernardi, Parter Liaison – | 425-919-6026
- Bellingham Technical College: Lynne Sherwood-Parker, HEET Grant Coordinator – | 360.752.8400
- Bellingham Technical College: Jennifer Tachiyama, Student Support Specialist – | 360-752-8481
Attend a virtual info session to learn more:
- Dec 13 2023, 9am
- Jan 17 2024, 9am
- Feb 21 2024, 9am
- March 12 2024, 9am
- April 10 2024, 9am
- May 15 2024, 9am
- June 12 2024, 9am
Part-time RN Pathway and Open Access for Working Students at Highline College & Green River College
Easing the shortage of nursing education access and meeting the needs of incumbent workers!
This project aims to develop and implement a part-time nursing program at Highline College and Green River College. This project will develop a guided AAS-RN pathway that supports and encourages students from underserved communities.
Program Partners
This program is a partnership between Highline Community College, Green River College, SEIU Healthcare 1199NW, Virginia Mason Franciscan Health St. Anne, UW Valley Medical Center, Swedish Medical Center and the Training Fund. This project aims to address equity challenges in nursing education.
Eligibility
Training Fund members are encouraged to apply to Highline College to earn prerequisites or join the Highline’s nursing program.
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:
Enhancing Pathways for Underrepresented Populations at Shoreline Community College
Worker-friendly support in pursuing nursing!
This HEET project provides high-impact student support and offers redesigned, equitable curricum to nursing students at Shoreline Community College. New seminars will intentionally focus on skills and knowledge that are often gaps in students’ preparedness due to systemic inequalities.
Resources supported through this project grant include: 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.
Program Partners
This program is a partnership between Shoreline Community College, SEIU Healthcare 1199NW, UW Medical Center – Northwest, Swedish Medical Center, and the Training Fund. It aims to expand diversity, equity, and inclusion in the nursing program.
Resources
Training Fund Members can apply for tuition assistance, childcare funding, transportation funding, tutoring and more.
Contact us to learn more:
Enhancing Nursing Pathways at Bellevue Community College
Addressing the demand for Registered Nurses!
This HEET project seeks to develop a comprehensive pathway into the nursing field for the broader Seattle-Bellevue metro area. It will implement 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.
The terminal degree at the end of this training will be an RN-BSN with offramps in NAC, and ADN. The RN-BSN degree makes a student eligible to be hired as registered nurses, a high-demand, high-wage position that is the foundation of many healthcare practices.
Program Partners
Kaiser Permanente; Swedish Health Services; UW Medicine Medical Center and Northwest Hospital; UW Medicine Valley Medical Center; SEIU Healthcare 1199NW Training Fund; and SEIU Healthcare 1199NW.
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: Allison Holmes, Partner Liaison – | 425-306-7425
- Bellevue Community College: TBA
Phlebotomy Tech Pathway at Renton Technical College
Build your career in phlebotomy!
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 is open to workers seeking to become a phlebotomist or Medical Lab Technician (MLT) at Renton Tech, Shoreline (AAAS MLT), or Clover Park (AAT MLT), as well as current phlebotomists seeking to become an MLT. This partnership will serve the needs of incumbent workers by allowing them to achieve higher salaries as Phlebotomist Technicians. It will also enable RTC and its partners to continue to grow pathways for incumbent workers to upskill and advance in their careers.
Program Partners
This program is a partnership between Renton Technical College; Kaiser Permanente; Swedish Health Services; UW Medicine Valley Medical Center; MultiCare; SEIU Healthcare 1199NW Training Fund; and SEIU Healthcare 1199NW.
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:
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.
See what our programs do!
Green River College
Renton Technical College
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.
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.
