Search | Menu Madison College and UW Health continue to innovate to address health care staffing shortages
Madison College and UW Health are once again expanding their nationally recognized partnership with pioneering apprenticeship programs to address Wisconsin’s growing health care staffing needs.
The partnership resulted in the nation’s first registered nurse apprenticeship program in 2023 followed by the nation’s first respiratory therapist apprenticeship program.
In 2025, Madison College and UW Health, in partnership with the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development and the Workforce Development Board of South Central Wisconsin started a ground-breaking surgical technology associate's degree registered apprenticeship.
This continued collaboration and innovation led Madison College and the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) Board to honor UW Health with its Futuremaker Partner Award last year, recognizing its innovative and collaborative efforts to tackle critical workforce challenges in health care.
"Health care is not only a critical need for Wisconsin residents, it also represents a significant portion of the programs offered by our colleges to meet the needs of healthcare employers," said S. Mark Tyler, former WTCS Board president. “I am pleased to present UW Health with the WTCS Futuremaker Award. They are an essential partner for Madison College, continually innovating with new ideas, technologies and methods, sparking interest in students entering the health care field.”
Meeting the demand for surgical technologists
The new surgical technology associate degree registered apprenticeship program is the first in the United States to offer all the coursework leading to an associate degree and credential eligibility to take a board examination for surgical technologists.
By integrating academic credit with hands-on apprenticeship training, the program aims to meet workforce demands, address patient needs, and remove barriers that often limit access to a surgical technologist career.
Surgical technologists play a critical role in the operating room by preparing it before surgery, promoting patient safety, assisting surgeons, and caring for surgical instruments and supplies.
The three-year program is currently open to UW Health staff, with six students in the first class. Graduates will earn an associate degree and can become licensed registered surgical technologists after passing board examinations.
Madison College faculty provide the classroom instruction in state-of-the-art facilities at Truax campus, including prerequisite coursework and core surgical technologist-specific courses.
Unique programs address a critical workforce need
The initiative reinforced Madison College's commitment to workforce development through innovative partnerships with industry leaders, according to Marissa Tokarczyk, dean of the School of Health Education.
"Our dedication to apprenticeship partnerships continues to grow, and the launch of the surgical technologist registered apprenticeship is a clear example of that progress," Tokarczyk said.
With the demand for health care professionals outpacing the number of graduates, Tokarczyk emphasized the importance of academic and clinical collaborations that support incumbent workers – especially those who might not otherwise have access to higher education.
The program encompasses the entire associate degree from prerequisites to degree completion and corresponding credentialing, according to Bridgett Willey, director, allied health education and career pathways at UW Health.
“Like many health care roles, surgical technologists are in high demand and critical to health care systems' abilities to provide surgical procedures,” she said. “Surgical technologists provide care for patients and are an essential part of surgical care.”
All tuition, books and supplies are covered for the first two years of the program under an apprenticeship expansion grant, secured by the Workforce Development Board of South Central Wisconsin. UW Health will support full-time salaries, benefits and tuition beyond the grant period.
Apprentices will work in surgical services-adjacent roles, in materials management, and central supply for the first year, and then transition to sterile process for the final two years to enhance their training while attending the program in surgical technology.
After graduating and passing the board examination, the apprentices will transition into surgical technologist positions at UW Health.
This latest initiative in the partnership between Madison College and UW Health is yet another step forward in ensuring a continued pipeline of qualified candidates to address the current and projected shortages in health care staffing.
