DIRECTING THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR TO STUDY THE CREATION OF A DELAWARE HEALTHCARE APPRENTICESHIP DEGREE PROGRAM AND TO REPORT FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE GOVERNOR AND THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Education Healthcare

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Berry
Last action: 2026-06-30
Official status: Passed 6/30/26
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill specifies a study on feasibility and design but does not guarantee funding or implementation of the program.

Study on Creating a Delaware Healthcare Apprenticeship Degree Program

This resolution directs state agencies to study how to create a program where students earn money and degrees while training for healthcare jobs.

What This Bill Does

Directs the Department of Labor, in collaboration with the Departments of Education and Health and Social Services, to study creating a Delaware Healthcare Apprenticeship Degree Program.
Requires the study to consider funding options using federal Rural Health Transformation Program awards so the program complements existing state initiatives.
Asks agencies to check how high school career paths can connect with this program so students earn college credit for skills learned.
Orders the Department of Labor to talk with stakeholders about apprenticeship programs in fields other than healthcare.
Requires a final report with findings and recommendations to be sent by May 1, 2027.

Who It Names or Affects

The Delaware Department of Labor
The Delaware Department of Education
The Delaware Department of Health and Social Services
Aspiring healthcare professionals in rural areas like Kent and Sussex Counties

Terms To Know

Apprenticeship Degree Program: A training model where students work paid jobs while taking classes to earn a degree or credential.
Rural Health Transformation Program: A federal funding award given to Delaware for improving healthcare in rural areas, which may be used for workforce development initiatives.
Articulated Credit Structures: Rules that allow students to get college credit for skills learned during high school or training programs.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill only orders a study and does not create the actual program yet.
It is unclear if enough funding will be available from federal awards to start the program.
The final report date of May 1, 2027 means no results are known until that time.

Bill History

2026-06-30 Delaware General Assembly
Reported Out of Committee (Executive) in Senate with 7 On Its Merits
2026-06-30 Delaware General Assembly
Passed By Senate. Votes: 21 YES
2026-06-25 Delaware General Assembly
Passed By House. Votes: 36 YES 1 NO 4 ABSENT
2026-06-25 Delaware General Assembly
Assigned to Executive Committee in Senate
2026-06-23 Delaware General Assembly
Reported Out of Committee (Administration) in House with 4 On Its Merits
2026-06-16 Delaware General Assembly
Introduced and Assigned to Administration Committee in House

Official Summary Text

DIRECTING THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR TO STUDY THE CREATION OF A DELAWARE HEALTHCARE APPRENTICESHIP DEGREE PROGRAM AND TO REPORT FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE GOVERNOR AND THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
This resolution directs the Department of Labor, in collaboration with the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Social Services, to study the creation of a Delaware Healthcare Apprenticeship Degree Program that would place aspiring healthcare professionals in paid clinical positions in healthcare facilities while they complete the training and schooling necessary to become credentialed healthcare professionals.
The resolution requires that the study consider how any recommended program may be funded through Delaware’s federal Rural Health Transformation Program award and implemented through or in coordination with the competitive awards made by the Department of Health and Social Services under that program, so that the program complements, rather than duplicates, the State’s ongoing healthcare workforce initiatives.
This resolution also directs the Department of Labor to consult with stakeholders to make recommendations for degreed apprenticeship programs beyond healthcare and requires the Department to submit a report of its findings to the Governor, the General Assembly, and the Division of Legislative Services by May 1, 2027.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

Legislation Document

SPONSOR:

Rep. Berry & Sen. Sturgeon

Reps. K. Johnson, Morrison, Osienski; Sen. Hansen

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

153rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 13

DIRECTING THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR TO STUDY THE CREATION OF A DELAWARE HEALTHCARE APPRENTICESHIP DEGREE PROGRAM AND TO REPORT FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE GOVERNOR AND THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

WHEREAS, Delaware faces a sustained and growing demand for qualified healthcare professionals, including nurses, certified nursing assistants, and other clinical support roles, and that demand is most acute in the rural communities of Kent and Sussex Counties; and

WHEREAS, registered apprenticeship and other “earn and learn” models place participants in paid clinical placements in healthcare facilities, alongside experienced healthcare mentors, while the participants complete the training and coursework necessary to earn an industry-recognized credential or postsecondary degree; and

WHEREAS, aligning apprenticeship training and instruction with existing high school career pathways and articulated credit structures creates a low-cost pathway for aspiring healthcare professionals to earn postsecondary credit for skills completed through such a program; and

WHEREAS, the State has received a multi-year federal award under the Rural Health Transformation Program administered by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and the Department of Health and Social Services is implementing that award through competitive funding opportunities that include healthcare workforce development initiatives, among them training programs for clinical support roles in rural Delaware; and

WHEREAS, the General Assembly supports the development of degreed apprenticeship pathways in healthcare and believes that a coordinated study by the Department of Labor, the Department of Education, and the Department of Health and Social Services is the appropriate next step.

NOW, THEREFORE:

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives and the Senate of the 153rd General Assembly of the State of Delaware, with the approval of the Governor, that the Department of Labor, in collaboration with the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Social Services, shall study the feasibility, design, and implementation of a Delaware Healthcare Apprenticeship Degree Program under which school districts, public schools, and institutions of higher education, acting independently or as a consortium, would place participants into paid clinical placements in healthcare facilities, alongside healthcare mentors, while the participants complete the training and health courses necessary to become a credentialed Delaware nurse, certified nursing assistant, or other healthcare professional.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the study must consider all of the following: (1) criteria for selecting program applicants, including an applicant’s demonstrated commitment to helping students secure long-term careers in the healthcare sector, established and proposed partnerships, commitment to diversifying the workforce and supporting underrepresented populations, commitment to on-the-job training, competitive wages and benefits, and long-term hiring opportunities, commitment to mentor training and support, and ability to meet the physical and technical standards of the healthcare discipline; (2) technical assistance services available from programs with expertise in the apprenticeship model; (3) national credentials available for healthcare apprenticeship programs; (4) tax credits and other incentives available to program participants; (5) federal and state funding available for training and educating healthcare mentors and apprentices, including, without limitation, how any recommended program may be structured as an allowable use of Delaware’s Rural Health Transformation Program award and delivered through or in coordination with competitive awards made by the Department of Health and Social Services under that program; and (6) alignment of registered apprenticeship training and instruction with existing high school career pathways and articulated credit structures so that participants may earn postsecondary credit for skills completed through the program.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Labor shall consult with public and private stakeholders to make recommendations about degreed apprenticeship programs beyond healthcare that meet the needs of the State workforce and public and private employers.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Labor shall prepare a report of the findings and recommendations under this resolution and shall submit the report to the Governor, the Director and Librarian of the Division of Legislative Services, and the Secretary of the Senate and the Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives for distribution to all members of the General Assembly not later than May 1, 2027.

SYNOPSIS

This resolution directs the Department of Labor, in collaboration with the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Social Services, to study the creation of a Delaware Healthcare Apprenticeship Degree Program that would place aspiring healthcare professionals in paid clinical positions in healthcare facilities while they complete the training and schooling necessary to become credentialed healthcare professionals.

The resolution requires that the study consider how any recommended program may be funded through Delaware’s federal Rural Health Transformation Program award and implemented through or in coordination with the competitive awards made by the Department of Health and Social Services under that program, so that the program complements, rather than duplicates, the State’s ongoing healthcare workforce initiatives.

This resolution also directs the Department of Labor to consult with stakeholders to make recommendations for degreed apprenticeship programs beyond healthcare and requires the Department to submit a report of its findings to the Governor, the General Assembly, and the Division of Legislative Services by May 1, 2027.