WASHINGTON, D.C.– U.S. Senator Pat Roberts today announced a grant for $1.6 million was awarded to the North Central Kansas Technical College (NCKTC) in Beloit to address the need for nursing paraprofessionals and professionals.

This program will train 2,000 healthcare workers, as well as adapt curricula and competency models to support multi-state application of the apprenticeship developed by the Kansas Department of Commerce entitled "Health Support Specialist." This grant will also go to help the NCKTC to develop distance learning tools to expand Health Support Specialist and Licensed Practicing Nurse apprenticeships to over 100 off-campus locations.

"I am pleased to announce these funds. Our nursing force in America is overburdened. In order to improve the quality of health care for all Americans, we need to make this investment in training nurses now," Senator Roberts said. "These grants will help improve quality of care for many Kansas patients."

The funds were awarded by the United States Department of Labor. Senator Roberts is a senior member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee.