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Frequently Asked Questions
What is a MiRSA?
Michigan Regional Skills Alliances (MiRSA) are partnerships formed to address workforce challenges such as worker shortages, employment and recruitment challenges and skills shortages. The goal of MiRSAs is to ensure that Michigan has a qualified workforce for Michigan employers and good jobs for Michigan workers by aligning public and private sector resources to find common solutions to shared workforce problems. MiRSAs focus on solving real and emerging workforce problems affecting businesses in a defined industry and region. As of October 2006 there were 32 MiRSAs throughout Michigan focusing on industries that include health care, manufacturing, information security and biotechnology.
Why are MiRSAs devoted to health care issues important?
According to a study released by the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth and The Michigan Department of Community Health, Michigan will need to fill more then 100,000 professional and technical health care jobs in Michigan over the next decade. The growing demand for health care workers, reflecting the aging of Michigan’s baby-boom generation and an overall increase in longevity, provides exciting, good paying career opportunities that can help replace well-paid manufacturing jobs that have been lost in Michigan in recent years. To meet the demand of employers who deliver health care services, we need to redouble our efforts to prepare Michigan workers to enter the health care workforce. There are three healthcare related MiRSAs in Southeast Michigan. The first is the Long-Term Care MiRSA, the very first health care MiRSA formed in Southeast Michigan, led by the Detroit Workforce Development Department as the convener along with numinous collaborating partners.The second and third are the Community Health Worker RSA and the Registered Nurse RSA.
Who are the collaborative partners of the Long-Term Care MiRSA?
Key partners include employers engaged in delivering long-term health care services in Southeast Michigan including primary nursing homes, home health agencies, assistive-living center, medically-focused group and foster homes and hospitals. Key partners also include both public and private educational institutions that prepare individuals for employment in health care careers. A list of partners can be viewed on this website at our “Members” section.
What are the goals of the Long-Term Care MiRSA?
Dedicated to addressing the needs of long-term care providers in Southeast Michigan, our goals include: identifying specific skill sets of employers and collaborating with educational entities to provide a skilled workforce that meet the needs of employers; facilitating the creation of educational opportunities that will maintain a pipeline of skilled health care workers including training for entry level workers as well as facilitating the development of creative educational programs that allow current health care workers to enhance their skills and access other health care opportunities in demand; addressing issues such as employee turnover rates, licensing issues, worker preparation and recruitment, workplace adjustment; addressing the needs of the long-term care employer sector related to supervisory training, and managerial concerns such as payer mix, reimbursement, regulatory and legislative issues.
What has the Long-Term Care MiRSA accomplished so far?
Based on survey results from long-term care employers, several educational institutions have enhanced their health care training curriculums; facilitated and supported a state-wide initiative resulting in funding for additional LPN and RN training slots; increased the number of testing sites for Nurse Assistant graduates that resulted in an increase in the number of Certified Nurse Assistants ready for employment; served as a clearinghouse for reports and literature related to long-term health care issues.
How do I get involved with the Long-Term Care MiRSA?
You are invited to attend a meeting. Your perspective and ideas will be valued and ensure that together we are developing strategies that result in a skilled health care workforce for Southeast Michigan. Generally held bi-monthly, please call us for our regular meeting schedule and other events at 313.664.5518.
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