Lansing Community College Is Strengthening Emergency Response Through Education and Partnership
First responders are a critical component of a region’s healthcare infrastructure. Firefighters, paramedics and emergency medical technicians with advanced training can increase survival rates and outcomes for the patients they care for.
Michigan’s Health Core understands that improving healthcare in the Lansing region requires more than just the latest technologies. It also demands a strong and sustainable workforce pipeline at every level—including the crucial first responders whose skills can save lives under stressful emergency situations.
Lansing Community College (LCC) is pioneering exactly this kind of workforce development to address a critical shortage of emergency medical workers in the Capital region. In 2024, LCC announced a First Responder Apprenticeship program partnership between the college’s Health and Human Services Division (HHS), the Lansing Fire Department, and Capital Area Michigan Works! (CAMW). The apprenticeship program provides existing firefighters with Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) training through its EMT Academy, greatly expanding the range of emergency situations they can handle and increasing the overall career earnings of apprenticeship graduates—the program’s exit wage is $25.26 per hour at the Lansing Fire Department.
“Apprenticeships are an established model for skilled trades and manufacturing education, so it is exciting to try them in new areas such as healthcare,” says Sally Welch, Provost, Lansing Community College. “The success of our LCC program proves that apprenticeships are an innovative tool for training emergency medical workers.”
The EMT Academy is committed to cultivating a diverse workforce which represents the college’s commitment to supporting individuals from lower-income brackets, first-generation students, veterans, and those in need of developmental academic or entry-level career skills.
“EMS is a rewarding career for individuals with a passion for service,” says Jacob Callahan, LCC EMS Program Director. “These apprenticeship programs afford our students the opportunity to pursue that passion supported by the community they aim to serve.”
This partnership exemplifies what makes the Lansing region special—leading educational institutions, nationally recognized health care providers, and employers working together to solve our challenges. Michigan’s Health Core is dedicated to supporting more collaborative problem-solving efforts such as this one that work to build a complete ecosystem where healthcare innovation can flourish in our community.
Category: Talent and Workforce