Frequently Asked Questions About Health Care Careers
WisCaregiver Careers is a public-private partnership administered by Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) in partnership with the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay, the Wisconsin Health Care Association, and LeadingAge Wisconsin.
The program is financed through the General Purpose Funding (GPR).
WisCaregiver Careers aims to connect people with nursing home employers who will coordinate and pay for CNA training and testing and pay $500 retention bonuses.
WisCaregiver Careers is an employment-first program meaning you apply for employment in a nursing home setting first. As part of WisCaregivers, your new employer will coordinate your:
• Free CNA training
• Free CNA certification testing (up to two attempts)
• $500 retention bonus after 6 months of employment, full-time or part-time
When you sign up for WisCaregiver Careers, you will automatically be connected with participating employers in your area.
You can also contact our program partner at your local FSET (Food Share Employment and Training) office to receive additional support that will help you get your CNA certification. FSET offices can provide uniforms, shoes, transportation vouchers, and other help to those who qualify. Make sure to tell them that you are interested in WisCaregiver Careers.
Please note that to become a CNA you must complete competency testing. The cost for the exam is covered by WisCaregiver Careers, and you have up to three times to retest, free of charge. The six-month $500 retention bonus is in addition to your wages.
WisCaregiver Careers is an employment-first model in the nursing home and extended care field. This means that you apply first for any open position or entry-level position with an employer of interest. Some employers may hire you first in another position while you get trained as a CNA. You will be able to choose from more than 190 participating employers across the state.
To be part of WisCaregiver Careers, you will apply directly to the employer indicating during the application or interview process you are interested in becoming a WisCaregiver.
It’s easy to get started, simply register here.
WisCaregiver Careers is a job search tool powered by the Handshake platform.
Once you are registered with WisCaregiver Careers, you will automatically be added to the platform. Your name and contact information will be searchable by participating WisCaregiver Careers employers.
Approximately 24-to-48 hours after you register, you will receive an email from the WisCaregiver Careers registration and education team at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. This email will guide you through the final important steps required to complete your Handshake profile.
These final steps are required so that WisCaregiver Careers employers will know that you are actively looking for a job.
A CNA role is an exciting and fulfilling career path, and you are in the right place to learn more! You do not need to have any previous background experience in the nursing home field, and the career offers flexible hours. As a nurse aide, you gain foundational skills needed to advance your career if you are interested in pursuing other roles in the future including a Medication Aide, Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), or Registered Nurse (RN). To learn more about the type of work and hear from other trainees, check out the CNA videos in our Media Gallery.
You can take the first step to a meaningful career right on this website. Register today.
Once you register, we’ll send you a customized email connecting you with specific employers within a 30-mile radius of your provided zip code.
If you’d like to check out all participating employers in our program, go to the Employers tab on this website. Here you will find an up-to-date map showing the growing number of 200+ employers currently offering WisCaregiver Careers benefits across the state. Click on any one of the map markers, and you can learn more about a potential employer, including their address, a link to their website, and more.
The great thing about WisCaregiver Careers is that you are in charge of deciding where you want to work and learn. You apply directly to your chosen employer as a CNA or a CNA trainee, depending on how the employer has structured their application. The application process will also cover a background check and vaccine requirements.
Have questions along the way? Contact our WisCaregiver Career Navigators.
If you cannot find an employer in your geographic area of interest, or if you have an employer in mind, but they are not listed on the map, please contact one of our WisCaregiver Career Navigators. We will be happy to conduct outreach to employers on your behalf to recruit them into the program.
We are continuously updating our employer map. We upload new employers in batches on a weekly basis. Typically your information will be added within a few days.
Mentorship program is being discontinued effective 5/1/2024. All trainees stated prior to 5/1/2024 with an assigned mentor through TMU prior to 5/1/2024 will be eligible for the mentorship bonus if all requirements are met.
The program tries to provide maximum flexibility to our employer partners. Therefore, there are no programmatic requirements from WisCaregiver Careers regarding the number of hours worked. This is entirely at the discretion of the employer. However, if an employer has specific restrictions (i.e. it does not apply to per diem substitutes), they need to clearly communicate requirements to applicants in advance. Our advice is to include this question as part of your employer’s hiring process.
WisCaregiver Careers CNA applicants are only eligible for reimbursement through employment in nursing homes. Applicants must be in a nursing home setting while being trained or working toward their six-month retention. If a facility has an assisted living wing, all applicants must still be employed by the nursing home capacity of the employer while in CNA training. Applicants may transfer to another portion of the facility after 6 months post-training.
If you are interested in working in an assisted living facility, consider becoming a Certified Direct Care Professional (CDCP) for free.
Yes! WisCaregivers Careers funding will cover the costs of your exam fees for up to three attempts on the CNA certification exam for free. You would still need to apply to one of our qualifying employer partners, and your employer will help you coordinate the scheduling of your certification exam.
If you have any questions about your specific circumstances, feel free to reach out to our Customer Service team at info@wiscaregivercna.com. You will also qualify for a 6-month retention bonus after 6 months of employment with your employer.
Yes! WisCaregiver Careers has expanded and there is now an option to become Certified Direct Care Professional (CDCP). Though it is all through WisCaregiver Careers, there are two separate programs for those who want to be Certified Nursing Assistants and those who want to become Certified Direct Care Professionals. If you are interested in becoming a CNA, you are in the right place!
If you are considering the CDCP path, you can access their website and contact information using this link: WisCaregiverCDCP.com