HELENA – State agencies are donating medical equipment to help a Tribal Healthcare Apprenticeship program on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation.
Medical exam tables were presented to the Aaniiih Nakoda College Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Program on Thursday March 21 at the State Capitol.
Marcie Brockie supervises the apprenticeship programs at the college and said the tables will help students complete the clinical portion of the curriculum.
“It enhances what we’re able to offer for our students,” said Brockie. “More tables will allow us to work with more students, which means more availability for the program.”
Brockie said providing training opportunities in the community means students don’t have to travel to larger towns for training and are more likely to search for jobs near their homes or families.
Lieutenant Governor Mike Cooney joined Department of Administration Director John Lewis and Labor Commissioner Galen Hollenbaugh in recognizing the Aaniiih Nakoda apprenticeship program.
“We hope this equipment will make it easier to help the Aaniiih Nakoda UNA program grow,” said Cooney. “Today is a great opportunity to celebrate the success of apprenticeship and recognize the hard work that our partners, like Aaniiih Nakoda, are doing each and every day to build Montana’s workforce.”
Commissioner Hollenbaugh said the state is committed to supporting the growth of apprenticeships and promoting collaborative efforts with businesses in Montana communities.
“This event really is a demonstration of partnerships amongst private business and government entities working together to ensure that we continue to build our work force in Montana,” said Hollenbaugh.
The Department of Administration said the exam tables came from state surplus. A total of five exam tables were found with three tables headed to Fort Belknap. The state is looking for another apprenticeship program to send the others, too.
Officials from the Department of Administration said they are always look at ways to repurpose surplus items to better the state.
-Reported by John Riley/MTN News
