Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Workforce Training Cna topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Dunn County committee resists paying for empty CNA class seats under proposed contract change
Summary
A contractor that runs CNA classes at the county facility asked the county to cover tuition for empty seats and add an administrative fee. Committee members said they were reluctant to pay and directed staff to negotiate terms or pursue other options.
The Dunn County Neighbors Standing Committee discussed a proposed contract change from the Health Care Workforce Training Institute that would make the county responsible for tuition for unfilled seats in certified CNA classes and an added administration fee.
Committee members said the institute currently uses county classroom space rent-free and handles recruitment and enrollment; the county’s role has been limited to hosting clinicals and facilitating tuition reimbursement for employees enrolled through the county’s caregiver program. Carmen, a staff member who presented the report, told the committee the institute proposed that “if they did not have a full class that we would be responsible for paying the tuition fee basically for the empty seat.” She said that under that proposal the county would have owed about $6,050 last year for empty seats and an additional $880 per class in administration fees.
The change prompted questions about cost-benefit and who should bear the financial risk. “It strikes me that…we are responsible for filling those classes. Whereas that’s not our responsibility,” said Supervisor Barbara Lyon. Several members suggested alternatives: charging rent for use of county space, billing the institute directly for empty-seat guarantees, or incorporating the cost into student fees. Supervisor Sheila Story suggested renegotiating the contract to bill the institute or to shift costs to students if feasible.
Carmen said the county has limited ability to charge individual students because enrollment is handled by the institute; “our only way to do that would be to basically charge the institute,” she said. Committee members noted trade-offs: charging rent or fees could prompt the institute to move classes offsite, while subsidizing empty seats would be a recurring cost to the county with limited retention of graduates to county employers. Committee members noted many trainees do not take jobs with the county after certification and may work at the other local facility, ALH, or outside the county.
Committee members did not approve a contract change at the meeting. After discussion the committee’s consensus was not to commit county funds for empty seats without clearer return on investment; several members asked staff to negotiate terms and report back. Carmen said she would open a negotiation with the institute after receiving the committee’s direction.
The committee also noted related workforce options—hiring a county nurse educator, pursuing rent for space use, or redirecting funds to recruitment or sign-on bonuses—but did not adopt a new funding approach at the meeting.
