Tampa, Fla., Nov. 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Ultimate Medical Academy (UMA) is proud to announce its continued partnership with the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay and the award of the Pathways to Career Opportunities Grant (PCOG), administered by the Florida Department of Education. This year’s grant totals $671,629, with $378,795 allocated to UMA to support the expansion of the Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP).
Now entering its fourth year, the Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP) is a vital workforce development initiative that directly supports the Florida Department of Education’s goals for PCOG funding. Some of these goals include expanding apprenticeship programs, strengthening on-the-job training, increasing access to career pathways and fortifying the state’s workforce pipeline. Sponsored and employed by the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay, with Related Technical Instruction (RTI) provided by UMA, the program addresses the growing demand for certified EMTs in the Tampa Bay region. Since receiving annual PCOG funding beginning in 2022, the RAP has significantly scaled its staffing, cohort size and training capabilities—delivering measurable impact across the region’s emergency response workforce.
The 2025–2026 project year will expand the program to accommodate up to 105 apprentices and introduce an additional certification in Emergency Medical Responder (EMR). This expansion includes hiring an additional Field Training Officer at The Crisis Center and increasing UMA’s instructional staff to accommodate the EMT RAP’s expansion while maintaining training standards.
“This grant represents a powerful investment in Florida’s healthcare workforce,” said Bridget Hyde, Vice President of Research & Development at UMA. “We are honored to continue our collaboration with the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay and grateful to the Florida Department of Education for recognizing the impact of our EMT apprenticeship program. With this funding, we can train more students, enhance their credentials and ultimately strengthen emergency medical services across our community.”
The growth experienced in 2025 reflects the program’s continued momentum and growing impact. Students will continue to benefit from instruction and support from UMA’s dedicated faculty, and hands-on training led by experienced Field Training Officers at the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay.
About Ultimate Medical Academy
The need for skilled healthcare workers in the United States continues to grow. Ultimate Medical Academy (UMA) is an accredited, nonprofit educational institution that helps to meet that need by equipping and empowering students to do vital work at the heart of healthcare. In addition to offering diploma and degree programs, UMA works closely with healthcare companies to connect students directly to job opportunities.
Based in Tampa, Florida, and operating for 30 years, UMA offers hands-on learning at its main campus in Clearwater, Florida as well as content-rich, interactive programs through its online campus. The institution supports students through every step of their journey with access to academic support, interview and resume coaching, job search assistance, technical support and more.
UMA has 100,000+ alumni and 15,000+ students nationwide. The institution also provides certified continuing medical education (CME) through ongoing training and professional development opportunities to physicians, nurses and other medical professionals throughout the U.S. annually.
UMA is institutionally accredited by the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES, www.abhes.org). The continuing medical education programs are individually accredited and are not included within the institution’s grant of accreditation from ABHES. Learn more by visiting www.ultimatemedical.edu .
- Learning Today to Save Lives Tomorrow