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Yavapai College (YC), a public institution of higher education (IHE) located in Prescott, Arizona, proposes an LPN Fast Track Program under the Department of Labor Nursing Expansion Grants Nursing Career Pathways Track. The proposed project, the YC LPN Fast Track Program, will upskill certified nursing assistants (CNAs), licensed nursing assistants (LNAs), and military medical personnel (MMP) to the higher skilled profession of Licensed Practicing Nurse (LPN).

The YC LPN Fast Track Program will consist of 22 credits over two semesters, including theory, pharmacology, clinical, and skills lab courses. YC will admit 120 learners in the five-year grant period (10 students per cohort, two cohorts per semester in years 2-4). Based on YC's historical pass rates for its allied health and nursing programs, it is expected that 105 learners will graduate the LPN Fast Track Program and pass the NCLEX-PN, certifying them as LPNs in the United States.

Yavapai County is the primary geographic scope for the project. It is located in north-central Arizona, and due to it being a popular location for retirees, it has an aged population. The primary target demographic for YC's LPN Fast Track Program is male nurses, who are underrepresented within the nursing profession. Learners for the program will be recruited via employer partners, nursing and allied health advisory boards, and marketing campaigns through the college's website and social media platforms.

LPNs in Yavapai County currently earn a median income of more than $60,000, which is considerably higher than the $36,000 median income of CNAs and LNAs in Yavapai County. Additionally, LPNs are expected to see a remarkable 38.8% rate of job growth in Yavapai County between 2020 and 2030, far surpassing the projected growth of LPNs nationwide (about 6%). The need for LPNs in Yavapai County is currently pressing, and it will continue to grow in the coming years.

YC has six strategic partners in place to help make this proposed project a success. Four employer partners include Dignity Health Yavapai Regional Medical Center, Northern Arizona Veterans Affairs Health Care System, Good Samaritan Society, and Granite Creek Health and Rehabilitation Center. These employer partners are already advisory board members and clinical site partners for the college's nursing and allied health programs. Clinical partners are required to offer preceptors for nursing students, and the same practice will continue throughout the grant program to ensure preceptor engagement for learners in the LPN Fast Track Program. Arizona Nurses Association (AZNA) has agreed to serve as the worker organization partner for this grant program, and Northern Arizona Council of Governments (NACOG) has agreed to serve as the workforce development partner for this grant program.

A total project cost of $1,351,948.66 has been budgeted for five years to build an LPN Fast Track Program at YC. This cost will be shared between the $1,124,821.28 requested from the DOL Nursing Expansion Grant Program (80%) and $227,127.38 in the form of a cash match from YC.

Yavapai County Community College District

TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE MORE EFFICIENT FUNCTIONING OF THE U.S. LABOR MARKET BY PROVIDING HIGH-QUALITY JOB TRAINING, EMPLOYMENT, OR LABOR MARKET INFORMATION.

17.268 - H-1B Job Training Grants

Employment and Training Administration (ETA) [DOL]

Office of Workforce Investment [DOL - ETA]

Yavapai, Arizona United States

County-Wide

DOL Nursing Expansion Grant Program (FOA-ETA-22-16)

Amendment Since initial award the End Date has been shortened from 09/30/28 to 05/31/28 and the total obligations have increased 133% from $1,349,785 to $3,149,497.