WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
Tapping Into the Power of Millennials in Aging
By Sara Wildberger E
ntrepreneur Amanda Cavaleri often hears the remark, “but you’re so young—what are you doing here?” Her
answer: She couldn’t see herself not being here. In college, she wouldn’t have seen herself
here. But at 20, she started work as a server in a Colorado retirement community—and she loved it. She saw a need, and an opportunity. How many others her age were missing out on the personal and professional rewards possible in senior living? And why? Pursuing these questions paved a fast
track to success—starting up the Capable Living elder concierge service, being named a thought leader by Carnegie Mellon’s Quality of Life Technology Center, being made an AARP fellow, and more. Two years ago, she launched Connect the
Ages, a grassroots initiative with the mission to “inspire five million Generation X, mil- lennials, and Generation Z individuals to pursue multidisciplinary careers in aging over the next eight years.” Here’s how—and why.
You’re going to need five million workers—or more. As Cavaleri points out, 10,000 Americans turn 65 daily, and in about five years, mil- lennials will make up 75 percent of the workforce. The assumption among some senior living leadership that immigrants can fill this gap misses the fact that “we’re competing on a global level for the whole immigrant population,” she says. Too much of the aging field is stuck in a
process of “rotating talent,” simply replacing workers who are burned out or under chal- lenged with a fresh crop at the same level. The investment in onboarding and training presented by this state of constant churn can result in losses and untapped talent.
Solution: Open the possibilities Cavaleri found that like her, many young people simply weren’t aware of careers in aging. The key is to communicate the rewards. As one of the millennials says in the group’s awareness-building video, “I thought I’d be a video game programmer,” but by applying his skills in the aging sector, he learned, “you can actually change someone’s life.” One top Connect the Ages initiative, for
instance, is recruiting millennials in aging sector careers to give guest talks at colleges. With passion and personal examples, speak- ers can easily tick off the advantages: a sense of mission and personal accomplishment, a chance to innovate, and a career that will last for the long haul. Connect the Ages produced a video
Cavaleri urges leaders to use, and it’s devel- oping more such multimedia, with potential to get the message out to many more millen- nials more quickly. Staring down that 2025 deadline, speed
matters: “We need new talent,” Cavaleri says. “We need to start to be the squeaky wheel, or this will get a lot worse.”
How can you connect? Senior living leaders also need to work to bridge the gap—but it’s an effort Cavaleri sees as having a high ROI. » Create and communicate a career ladder. Those entering the field need to see the potential for a future. Where could they be in one year, five, 10? Create and share nar- ratives of those who have climbed a ladder.
» Show your range. “The interesting thing about aging is it does touch every indus- try,” Cavaleri says. It’s not just for health care or caregivers—and those jobs can be more complex than many realize.
Thought Leader Profile
Amanda Cavaleri Chief Executive Officer, Connect the Ages
» Support that ladder. Support employees in reaching their goals. Incentivize with increased responsibility or new opportuni- ties. Build an easy on-ramp from colleges to volunteering or appropriate part-time work, and from there to full-time careers.
» Make connections and be an advocate. Start with educational institutions and workforce development boards. “We need to educate the educators in what you’re looking for,” Cavaleri says. “Who’s your ideal candidate—and what can they do to help them grow? What if you partner with a school, or start your own CNA training program, with classes at times that are convenient for people? We can be more creative about that.” Economic development groups want to help, she says, but don’t have compel- ling data or messages. “We need to show them that we’re creating jobs, creating value, potentially saving Medicaid dol- lars,” she says. And, consider giving staff time off to advocate and join the effort, Cavaleri says.
To learn more, visit
connecttheages.com
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