WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
A Day of Discovery Argentum brings community workforce leaders to learn about senior living career opportunities O
n June 28, Argentum convened a coalition of workforce organiza- tions, educators, and policymakers
for the first grassroots workforce develop- ment event of its kind. The job center and community college
staff “Day of Discovery” at Brightview West End, a senior living community in Rockville, MD, brought together workforce organiza- tions from across the region to learn more about the numerous career opportunities in senior living, as well as professional devel- opment benefits for employers and career opportunities for job seekers, in federal and state apprenticeship programs, such as the Healthcare Apprenticeship and Expansion Program (HAEP) currently managed by Argentum. Participants included representatives
from Job Corps, Worksource Montgomery, Montgomery College, Prince George’s Com- munity College, Employ Prince George’s, the District of Columbia Department of Employment Services, Maryland Depart- ment of Labor, CASA, Virtual Apprentice, HomeWell Care Services, Management & Training Corporation, as well as representa- tives for U.S. Senators Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD). “The senior living industry is in the midst
of a workforce crisis, and we are committed to working with our partners to address the
challenge of filling the millions of jobs that will be needed to care for an aging popu- lation,” said Argentum President and CEO James Balda. “Our Day of Discovery event was a great opportunity for workforce orga- nizations to learn more about the rewarding careers that are available in senior living. We are grateful to Brightview West End for hosting this event and to all the organizations that participated.” The Day of Discovery event featured a
variety of speakers and activities, including an overview on the future of the senior living workforce and the diverse career op- portunities, tours of Brightview West End, a residential senior living community that offers independent living, assisted living and memory care, and roundtable discussions on apprenticeships, training programs, and other workforce development resources. Ar- gentum will use the feedback from this event to develop additional workforce development programs and resources. “We are committed to working with our
partners to create a pipeline of qualified workers for the senior living industry,” said Ashante Abubakar, Argentum’s Vice Presi- dent of Workforce Development. “Our Day of Discovery event was a great first step in this effort, and we look forward to continu- ing to work with our partners to address the workforce crisis.”
Argentum’s broader workforce efforts
are focused on meeting the current senior caregiver shortage of some 400,000, which is projected to grow to more than 20 million workers by 2040. Earlier this year, Argen- tum unveiled a three-year strategic vision to guide these efforts. The plan calls for: expanding and promoting career pathways and pipelines through strategic partner- ships, culminating in apprenticeships, in- cumbent worker training, and recruitment and retention; engaging the “total career opportunity” through supportive programs for workers; and advancing policy solutions to expand the workforce pipeline and en- hance retention. Argentum also continues to lead public
policy efforts to address the industry’s work- force needs, working with congressional lawmakers to reintroduce the SENIOR Act, legislation to bolster the senior living work- force and address access and affordability of senior living, which is expected to be reintroduced this summer. Additionally, Ar- gentum continues to work with lawmakers on the House and Senate Appropriations Committees to secure program funding for the Department of Labor’s Employment & Training Administration, Job Corps, and the HRSA Health Workforce.
“Our Day of Discovery event was a great opportunity for workforce organizations to learn more about the rewarding careers that are available in senior living.”
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2023
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