Kilgore College, CHRISTUS Good Shepherd Health System awarded Trellis Foundation grant to launch innovative nursing apprenticeship model

Kilgore College, in partnership with CHRISTUS Good Shepherd Health System, has been selected as part of the inaugural implementation cohort for the Trellis Foundation’s Streamlining Success in Nursing Programs in Texas initiative.

The three-year project, in collaboration with UpSkill America at the Aspen Institute, will strengthen partnerships between higher education institutions, workforce boards and healthcare providers to remove barriers for nursing students.

Through this partnership, KC and CHRISTUS Good Shepherd Health System will launch an innovative nursing apprenticeship model designed to address critical gaps in nursing education and workforce development. The program will create formalized pathways to prepare more nursing graduates while helping students balance education and employment.

“This apprenticeship initiative marks a transformative step in nursing education,” said Dr. Jennifer Bray, dean of health sciences at Kilgore College. “Through our partnership with CHRISTUS Good Shepherd Health System, we are creating an innovative model that blends classroom learning with real-world practice, reduces barriers for students, and promotes work-life balance. The program expands clinical training opportunities, supports hospital preceptors, and better prepares workforce-ready nurses.”

The collaboration represents a milestone in addressing regional healthcare shortages while simultaneously offering students meaningful work-based learning opportunities.

“We’re proud to collaborate with Kilgore College to provide students with a unique opportunity to learn, earn, and grow in their careers,” said Teresa Halcomb, chief nursing executive at CHRISTUS Good Shepherd Health System. “This apprenticeship program bridges education and employment in a way that benefits both our students and the region’s healthcare workforce.”

The cohort includes several other higher education and workforce partners from across Texas, each launching unique approaches to improve student outcomes. Other institutions selected include Lamar State College Port Arthur; McMurry University; San Antonio College; Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi; The University of Texas at Houston; Cizik School of Nursing; the Workforce Board of West Central Texas; and Workforce Solutions Rural Capital.

By supporting these collaborations, the Trellis Foundation aims to improve systems that often present obstacles for nursing students, such as being unpaid for required clinical hours.

“Trellis Foundation understands the importance of investing in the meaningful work nursing programs are doing across Texas,” said Jenny Achilles, senior program officer at Trellis Foundation. “Supporting nursing students so they can get their degree without facing extra hurdles is vital to our healthcare workforce.”

Project organizers emphasized that the initiative is not only about supporting students but also about creating a sustainable model for the healthcare workforce.

“Creating an intentional community where academic institutions, community organizations and hospital partners can come together and learn from one another is essential to success for each participant,” said Haley Glover, senior director of UpSkill America. “These implementation partners are leaders in their community whose innovative solutions will help other communities understand what is feasible for their hospital partners.”

For more information about the implementation cohort, email txhealthcare@aspeninstitute.org.