Apprenticeship Programs at UnityPoint Health - Des Moines and UnityPoint Clinic
UnityPoint Health – Des Moines and UnityPoint Clinic is offering employees opportunities to grow within their career. Apprenticeships offer structured training programs which provide employees a chance to work toward furthering their career.
The apprenticeship programs give team members an opportunity to learn new skills and earn more money. By providing an apprenticeship program for UnityPoint Health - Des Moines and UnityPoint Clinic employees, our team can receive access to healthcare training and the opportunity to gain employment therefore changing their lives and their families and our Central Iowa community. Each apprenticeship program provides accelerated training, combining classroom with hands-on experience. Click on the apprenticeship programs below for information about each program.
CMA Apprenticeship Program Information
The CMA Apprenticeship Program is sponsored by UnityPoint Clinic.
Why should I consider a CMA apprenticeship?
- Career advancement opportunity
- CMA's get to work as a part of the care team helping our patients. Great for someone who wants to make a career change or looking to start a career and is worried about the cost of going back to college.
- 100 percent of tuition is paid for
- Guaranteed a position as a Medical Assistant upon completion
- Come for a job and stay for a career
What is an apprenticeship?
- A chance to earn while learning. Apprentices work at UnityPoint Health during the week while taking classes part time in the evening. At the end of the first year apprentices transfer into a new position and begin working as Non-certified Medical Assistants while continuing to take classes part time in the evening. At the end of the program and upon successful completion of their medical assisting program and certification, apprentices begin working as Certified Medical Assistants.
What type of CMA training do I receive?
- Classes are held at DMACC and include the following:
- Psychology 101
- Medical Terminology
- Communication Skills or English Composition
- Professional Development MAP 423 and MAP 606
- Health and Disease I and II
- Medical Office Management I and II
- Medical Office Procedures I and II
- Medical Laboratory I and II
- Practicum – 192 Hours
What type of training/experience do I need to be considered for this apprenticeship?
- No formal training required
- Must have a high school diploma
- Proof of completing high school biology (or required to take during first semester)
What will I learn from this apprenticeship?
- Learn how to care for patients in a clinic setting
- How to obtain and process common laboratory specimens
- Medical office procedures
- Work alongside providers and nurses as part of the care team
How long is the apprenticeship?
What would my weekly schedule look like?
- Work during the day or around school while taking classes part time in the evening.
Am I eligible for pay during apprenticeship?
- Yes, apprentices work during the day where they're paid. Apprentices are not paid while they're in class but the cost of tuition is covered 100%.
Can I work another job during my apprenticeship? What are the requirements?
- Apprentices will remain working in their current role when first accepted into the program and will remain there for the next year. At the end of the first year of the apprenticeship is when employees will move into their first new job as a non-certified medical assistant.
What requirements do I need? Eligibility?
- View the entry requirements for the DMACC Medical Assistant program.
- Employed with UnityPoint Health for at least one year by the time the next cohort begins.
- Be accepted into DMACC Medical Assisting Program which includes demonstrating the ability to meet certain academic assessment requirements.
- Complete an application for admission – must be completed prior to taking any assessments!
- Submit proof of high school graduation or HiSET completion.
- Complete required entry assessments. Web login information is provided after completing the DMACC application and is needed for testing. Testing can be completed online from any computer with WiFi access.
- ACCUPLACER Reading – Score of 73 or above is required. Testing Tips Available
- ACCUPLACER Sentence Skills – Score of 83 or above is required. Testing Tips Available
- ALEKS Math Assessments – Score of 30 or above is required. Testing Tips Available. If score is below 30 there are learning practice modules that can be completed and then the option to retest up to five times is allowed.
- or ACT scores in Reading (19 or above), English (19 or above), Math (14 or above)
- Submit evidence of a grade "C" or better in one year of high school biology or equivalent.
- Typing test / word processing requirement is 35 words per minute with 5 or less errors in a five-minute timed assessment.
Apply for the Medical Assistant Apprenticeship Program
PCT Apprenticeship Program Information
Why should I consider a PCT apprenticeship?
- Career advancement opportunity
- Great for someone who wants to make a career change without having to go through extensive training
- Free training
- Guaranteed advancement into the role of Patient Care Tech
- Come for a job and stay for a career
What is an apprenticeship?
- A chance to earn while learning. Apprentices work up to 32 hours per week while taking their basic and advanced certified nurse aide training and one of the two approved training programs in Des Moines. Once training is complete apprentices get to move into their new position as a Patient Care Technician.
What type of PCT training do I receive?
- Training is done at DMACC or Signature Health and include the following:
- Basic Nurse Aide – 75 Hours
- Advanced Nurse Aide – 75 Hours
What type of training/experience do I need to be considered for this apprenticeship?
- Must have a high school diploma or GED
- No previous training or experience required
Where would I work after this apprenticeship?
- Apprentices will be prepared to work as a nurse aide in a hospital or home care setting.
What will this apprenticeship provide me and what will I learn?
- Free Training
- Guaranteed Advancement
- Skills to work as a nurses assistant
How long is the apprenticeship?
- Length of time can vary depending on the course track you choose from two months to one year
What would my weekly schedule look like?
- Classes are offered at several times and locations throughout Des Moines. Apprentices can remain working in your current job and can take classes at times that work for your schedule.
How do I sign up?
- Applications will be accepted three times throughout the year: May, September, January
Am I eligible for pay during apprenticeship?
- Apprentices will work their scheduled shifts in their current role for UnityPoint Health and will be paid during that time.
Can I work another job during my apprenticeship? What are the requirements?
- Apprentices will remain working in their current role with UnityPoint Health and will remain there until the completion of the certificaiton.
- We don't recommend apprentices working more than 32 hours per week because of the class work that's required.
- Apprentices must remain benefit eligible, which means working 16 hours per week or more in order to remain eligible for the apprenticeship program.
What requirements do I need? Eligibility?
- Employed with UnityPoint Health for a minimum of six months
- High school diploma or equivalent
Engineer Apprenticeship Program Information
Why should I consider an engineer apprenticeship?
- Build a career without having student loan debt
- Have a career as a licensed engineer
- Learn hands on while earning a pay check
What is an apprenticeship?
- A chance to earn while learning. Apprentices work up to 32 hours per week and will take two classes per year. Each year apprentice wages advance as their skills advance. At the end of the four year training program apprentices will begin working as an engineer.
What type of engineer training do I receive?
- These are the classes apprentices will take over the course of four years:
- Fundamentals of Refrigeration
- Electricity
- Applied Math
- Electrical Controls and Circuits
- Communication Skills or ENG 105 Composition 1
- Applied Heating and AC – 5 Credits
- Medical Office Procedures I and II
- Boiler Room Maintenance
- Steam Plant Operations
What type of training/experience do I need to be considered for this apprenticeship?
- Must have a high school diploma or GED
- Knowledge of basic hand tools
Where would I work after this apprenticeship?
- Apprentices will be prepared to work as a licensed engineer
What will this apprenticeship provide me and what will I learn?
- Free Training
- Guaranteed Advancement
- Learn about the basics of electricity, heating ventilation and air conditioning, steam and boiler room operations, and the basics of refrigeration.
How long is the apprenticeship?
What would my weekly schedule look like?
- Apprentices will work up to 32 hours per week with varying shifts and will take two classes per year.
How do I sign up?
- Applications are accepted once a year in the spring.
Am I eligible for pay during apprenticeship?
- Pay continues during working hours. Classes are paid for in full but apprentices are not paid for their time in class.
Can I work another job during my apprenticeship? What are the requirements?
- We don't recommend apprentices working more than 32 hours per week because of the class work that's required.
- In apprentice programs, if a student doesn't pass their classes, they don't move on in the apprenticeship. Students can retake a course once but if they don't successfully pass, it can impact their ability to remain eligible for the apprenticeship.
- Apprentices must remain benefit eligible, which means working 16 hours per week or more in order to remain eligible for the apprenticeship program.
Medical Lab Technician Apprenticeship Program Information
Why should I consider a laboratory technician apprenticeship?
- Career advancement opportunity
- Medical laboratory technicians assist the care team and providers in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases by performing tests on tissue, blood and other body fluids. This program is great for someone who wants to make a career change or looking to start a career and is worried about the cost of going back to college.
- 100 percent of tuition is paid for
- Guaranteed a position as a Medical Lab Technician upon completion
- Come for a job and stay for a career
What is an apprenticeship?
- A chance to earn while learning. Apprentices work at UnityPoint Health during the week while taking classes part time around their work schedule. At the end of each year apprentices will receive a significant raise as they progress through their courses. This will be above and beyond that of their annual merit increase. At the end of the program and upon successful completion of their medical lab technician program and certification, apprentices begin working as Medical Lab Technicians.
What type of MLT training do I receive?
- Please see the DMACC website for detailed program and course information.
What type of training/experience do I need to be considered for this apprenticeship?
- You must be working in the lab as a Lab Support Tech or other non-credentialed lab position.
- Must have a high school diploma
- Proof of completing high school biology (or required to take during first semester)
- Proof of completing high school algebra (or required to take during first semester)
- Proof of completing high school chemistry (or required to take during first semester)
What will I learn from this apprenticeship?
- Learn how to perform various tests
- How to operate equipment in a clinical lab setting
- Medical lab procedures
- Work alongside providers and nurses as part of the care team
- Apprentices will be prepared to work as a licensed engineer
How long is the apprenticeship?
- Three and a half years of training followed by two years of employment as a Medical Lab Technician.
What would my weekly schedule look like?
- Work during the day or around school while taking classes part time 3 – 4 days/evenings per week. Apprentices will work up to 32 hours per week with varying shifts and will take two classes per year.
Am I eligible for pay during apprenticeship?
- Yes, apprentices work up between 32 and 40 hours per week. Apprentices attend classes outside of their working hours but are not paid while they're in class. The cost of tuition is covered 100%.
Can I work another job during my apprenticeship? What are the requirements?
- Apprentices will work as Lab Support Technicians while going through training and must be in this role in order to be eligible for the annual pay increase. When apprentices are done with all of their coursework at DMACC they'll transfer into their new role as a Medical Lab Technician.
What requirements do I need? Eligibility?
- DMACC Medical Lab Tech Entry Requirements and Program Details
- Employed with UnityPoint Health for at least 90 days and have a successful introductory evaluation.
- Be accepted into DMACC Medical Lab Technician Program which includes demonstrating the ability to meet certain academic assessment requirements.
- Complete an application for admission to DMACC – must be completed prior to taking any assessments!
- Submit proof of high school graduation or HiSET completion.
- Complete required entry assessments. Web login information is provided after completing the DMACC application and is needed for testing. Testing can be completed online from any computer with WiFi access.
- ACCUPLACER Next Gen Reading – Score of 28 or above is required.
- ACCUPLACER Next Gen Writing – Score of 254 or above is required.
- ALEKS Math Assessments – Score of 30 or above is required. Testing Tips Available. If score is below 30 there are learning practice modules that can be completed and then the option to retest up to five times is allowed.
- ACT scores can be accepted in place of academic assessments listed above.
- Submit evidence of a grade "C" or better in one year of high school biology or equivalent.
- Submit evidence of a grade "C" or better in one year of high school algebra or equivalent.
- Submit evidence of a grade "C" or better in one year of high school chemistry or equivalent.
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