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n e w h a v e n b i z . c o m | J a n u a r y 2 0 2 1 | n e w h a v e n B I Z 23 W ith the events of 2020 reshaping Connecticut's economy, it's no surprise our workforce must be transformed as well. Over the past eight months, Workforce Alliance has simultaneously adapted by delivering services almost completely online and also redeploying resources to serve employers and those looking for work in greater New Haven and Middlesex county. Nowhere was that more vital than the healthcare industry. Connecticut's healthcare workforce remains on the front lines. Fatigue and workforce shortages from entry-level Certified Nurse Assistants (C.N.A.) on up dominated the news. Even before COVID-19, assisted living, continuing care, rehabilitation, and acute care were growing subsets of the industry. With the pandemic, they became ground zero and workers became essential. Thanks to early convenings with industry employers and a thorough understanding of the local business landscape, Workforce Alliance rapidly identified and deployed new resources that would have the greatest impact. At any given time there are thousands of open C.N.A. jobs in the region. Coronavirus increased the need for direct care providers with specialized training while exacerbating the health risks for these workers. This growth in demand is seen across all clinical settings - hospice care, skilled nursing facilities, hospitals. These call for not only basic C.N.A. skills, but require nursing aids to master a roster of advanced skills and knowledge specific to geriatric care: pain management, mental health care, dementia, and palliative care. And that wasn't all. Very quickly healthcare workers had to work harder and smarter. Telehealth, or Telemedicine, burst forth. If COVID-19 meant staying home to stay safe, healthcare had to find a way. Yale New Haven Health system reported that it went from 30 Telehealth visits a day to 3,000-4,000 a day. Workforce Alliance launched new Telehealth training developed with digital literacy and remote healthcare experts. Future C.N.A.'s and a wider audience attended virtual sessions and learned how to convey trustworthiness, credibility and empathy from a screen. Participants also learned how to ask questions – and listen for answers – that will help complete patient histories, assist nurses, and prepare the patient and provider for the best outcome. By the end of 2020, Workforce Alliance will have trained two cohorts of C.N.A.'s with those advanced skills, plus Telehealth. A total of 156 received digital literacy, paid work experience, on-the-job training and credentials in essential areas like healthcare, information technology and warehousing and distribution thanks to funding from the Governor's Workforce Council and the federal CARES Act. The advanced C.N.A. training and Telehealth are two prime examples of how Connecticut's workforce pipeline is primed and ready. If 2020 was the year to adapt, 2021 is the year to act to keep building and employing a skilled and motivated workforce together as workforce boards, employers and educators. After all, Connecticut's competitive future is on the line. 3,000- 4,000 visits a day 156 received digital literacy For m ore information go to: www.workforceallian ce.biz/busin essser vices or conta c t Wan da L ar y, Busin ess Ser vices Coordinator, 203-867- 4030 x 254 SPONSORED CONTENT CONNECTICUT'S HEALTHCARE WORKFORCE TRANSFORMS - Bill Villano, President & CEO, Workforce Alliance

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