H-CAP

In the early 2000s, healthcare leaders recognized a critical challenge: the healthcare industry was evolving rapidly, but the workforce training systems weren't keeping pace. Workers needed clear pathways to advance their careers, employers struggled to find qualified staff, and unions wanted better opportunities for their members. The Healthcare Career Advancement Program (H-CAP) was founded to bridge this gap through innovative labor-management partnerships.

H-CAP is a national labor/management organization that works with employers, unions, and workers to provide top-notch training opportunities and support the healthcare industry during unprecedented change. As a partnership between SEIU union locals and healthcare employers such as Kaiser, the NY League of Voluntary Hospitals, Swedish Medical Center, and Cape Cod Health Systems, H-CAP has developed a national collaboration of employers, unions, and educators dedicated to innovation and quality in healthcare career education. The organization operates through its National Center for Healthcare Apprenticeships (NCHA), which sponsors and expands Registered Apprenticeship Programs nationwide in partnership with the U.S. Department of Labor.

Today, H-CAP's industry partnerships span 16 states plus Washington, DC, including more than 1,000 employers and 550,000 workers across every healthcare setting - from home care to skilled nursing facilities to clinics and hospitals. Their vision is to transform healthcare professional education so it better meets industry needs for quality care and personnel while creating family-sustaining careers and supporting access to good union jobs for women, Black, Indigenous, and other underrepresented workers.