Gov. Kim Reynolds announced Tuesday during her Condition of the State address a new $15 million round of funding available through the Health Careers Registered Apprenticeship Program. The program began in 2022, providing grants to RA programs helping students pursue nursing pathways. The new funding will allow the program to expand to new occupations in health care, including EMTs, registered nurses, direct support professionals, and behavioral health and substance abuse specialists. The health care and social assistance industry continues to have the highest number of job openings on the IowaWorks website (approximately 12,000) and had four of the top 10 job postings in Iowa as of Wednesday, according to a news release. To receive funding, the RA programs must provide an industry-recognized credential that can also be stackable and used to advance a career in health care, the release said. Funding priority and preference will be given to partnerships that involve private or public accredited Iowa high schools. Applications for this year’s grants are now open. The deadline to apply is March 9 at noon. An informational webinar is scheduled for Jan. 27 at 11 a.m.