Effingham, Ill.-based Heartland Dental and Concorde Career Colleges are partnering to open campuses to train dental hygienists and dental assistants.
The first campus is projected to open in Fort Myers, Fla., in 2025 and will train up to 120 hygienists and 72 assistants per year, according to an Aug. 1 news release.
Heartland Dental is funding the total cost of the campus construction, as well as providing scholarships to students.
Concorde currently operates 17 campuses, offering a dental hygiene program at 16 locations and a dental assisting program at 14.
Dental hygienists and dental assistants have been the most difficult position for dental practices to recruit, according to a survey from the American Dental Association from earlier this year.
Heartland Dental has hired 325 graduates from Concorde's dental hygiene program to date, the release said.