PCA College Corps aims to tackle personal care worker shortage

After months working together, Kirk Ingram and Maddie Everson move easily through their routine.

She logs into his computer and puts on his headset, offering him a sip of water. As Ingram gets to work at his home office, Everson heads to the kitchen to put away dishes. Next, she’ll fold laundry, maybe do some occupational therapy homework.

The University of Minnesota Rochester graduate student is one of the first members of Minnesota’s personal care assistant (PCA) College Service Corps. The pilot program, launched earlier this year, aims to help fill a major need for Minnesotans with disabilities: the dearth of PCAs who allow people to live more independently in the community.

It also provides college students, many of whom are looking at health care-related careers, with extra cash and experience caring for people.

Ingram, who was paralyzed from the neck down in a 2015 diving accident, said he hadn’t been able to find anyone to be his personal care assistant since the pandemic. Instead, he pieced together help from his wife, parents and siblings. He hopes the PCA College Corps continues and expands.

“It would be great to just have that revolving door of young professionals that are eager to learn,” Ingram said.

The program is starting small. So far, 20 students are participating, said Jesse Bethke Gomez, CEO of the Metropolitan Center for Independent Living, which is leading the pilot project. But he said 50 students have applied and they would like to serve 50 people over two years, then bring lessons learned to state leaders in 2026 so they can contemplate scaling up the program.

“I couldn’t be more distressed at the PCA urgency, and yet more delighted to see how we’re making these connections one at a time,” Bethke Gomez said.

PCAs and home health aides hold Minnesota’s most in-demand jobs, according to state labor market data, and the demand for their work is expected to continue to grow with an aging population.

Low wages in the field have contributed to the worker shortage. Students participating in the College Corps receive standard pay through the PCA agencies they are working with. Everson said she earns $19 an hour.

But on top that, corps members receive taxable bonus awards: $1,500 for those working 10 weeks and 100 hours, up to $4,500 for students who commit to 30 weeks and 300 hours. The pilot program is funded by a $350,000 donation from the Margaret A. Cargill Fund and $500,000 from the state.

“The flexibility of it and the incentive is very nice,” Everson said, and while the bonus ends after 300 hours, “I’ll work for him longer than that, until I can’t.”

Bethke Gomez hopes many students who participate in the program will also keep working as PCAs throughout their college careers.

“What that can do is to help the college student strengthen their career, develop interpersonal skills, that social-emotional depth,” Bethke Gomez said.

Everson said she also has gained skills relevant to her future career, including helping Ingram with his specialized stationary exercise bike. She also regularly brings him to work out facilities where there are trainers and occupational therapists, offering her a firsthand look at the field she plans to enter.

“It’s like an extended job shadowing,” Ingram said. “I’m hoping with the new program that it’s a pipeline for people that are interested in the field, getting experience, benefiting them ... but then obviously helping me and my needs as well.”

Each person has different needs but the pilot program works great for Ingram, who can direct his own care and train his PCAs, said Becki Hanson, the program manager for Family Home Health Care, the PCA agency working with Ingram and Everson.

“For people who can direct their own cares, it’s been almost a relief to me in a way. We get referrals, somebody who is just looking for staff and they can’t find anyone and we can hardly ever find anyone — $17 an hour is not great pay,” Hanson said.

Although she hasn’t used the College Corps program to serve anyone beside Ingram yet, she said, “It’s so nice to know that’s available as an option.”