How Madison College Built Healthcare Apprenticeships to Meet Workforce Demand

When UW Health faced a critical shortage of health workers in areas such as Respiratory Therapy and Surgical Technology, they recognized an opportunity to innovate. Even though the college was producing graduates, the pipeline couldn’t keep pace with growing workforce demand. A new solution was needed – one that could expand capacity while maintaining alignment with employer expectations and accreditation requirements.  

To meet this challenge, Madison College partnered with the Department of Workforce Development and WIDS to design a different path forward: healthcare apprenticeships that connect classroom learning with real-world experience.

The process began with a DACUM (Developing a Curriculum) where subject matter experts identified the duties and tasks performed by healthcare professionals. This created a clear foundation for both instruction and training, ensuring that what students learn directly reflects what they need to do on the job.

From there, faculty and WIDS consultants worked together to design a degree apprenticeship model that bridges academic learning with workplace experience. They evaluated the curriculum to determine which components could be learned on the job and where students could earn credit for prior learning — streamlining the path to completion while maintaining program integrity.

Using WIDS instructional design software, the team documented and aligned program outcomes, course objectives, and clinical and skills assessments into a cohesive, competency-based framework. On-the-job learning was intentionally sequenced alongside classroom and lab instruction, with standardized performance criteria ensuring consistency across the experience.

This collaborative approach resulted in innovative apprenticeship programs in Surgical Technology and Respiratory Therapy—programs that not only address immediate workforce needs but also create a more flexible and scalable pathway for students entering high-demand healthcare careers.

By supporting everything from identifying job-specific skills to designing full apprenticeship programs, WIDS helped Madison College build a model that connects learning to work—proving that from modules to full programs, WIDS does it all.

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