CALA News & Views | Issue 51 | Impact

Bringing

Workforce Into Focus – 2024 and Beyond

With the appointment of a director of workforce development, CALA now has a dedicated full-time staff member focused on addressing the workforce needs of our members. Since March, key priorities have included establishing relationships with schools, universities and career centers; hosting webinars that showcase career stories from CALA members; sharing valuable Argentum resources; expanding student scholarships and sponsorship opportunities; and revitalizing the Workforce Development Committee. After a comprehensive review of CALA’s past workforce initiatives and strategic plan, the following areas were identified as key starting points. CALA has expanded hosted webinars tailored to specific academic programs such as business, hospitality and healthcare. These sessions feature supportive members who share their personal stories and career journeys into senior living. Partnering with community colleges, private schools and California state universities, the webinars are designed to reach a broad and diverse student audience. CALA’s workforce team invited our national partner, Argentum, to introduce Direct Workforce Services (DWS) to members interested in on-the-job training, tax credit incentives and labor grant opportunities. DWS acts as the liaison between members and the American Job Centers throughout California. The program was initially launched in key economic regions with plans for continued rollout

across the state. This valuable yet lesser-known resource for members could lead to significant cost savings on hiring new employees. Additional outside resources the team is exploring and will share with members soon include Goodwill and Work for Warriors placement programs. Cosumnes River College is collaborating with CALA to create a three-part event that can be replicated statewide by other hospitality programs. With the support of renowned member chefs, a short video will be produced and incorporated into student assignments. The video will highlight career opportunities in senior living dining, outline the key skills needed for success and feature personal success stories from CALA members. In addition to the video, students will tour a member community for an onsite demonstration and have a member chef visit their classroom for a live cooking demonstration. The program will also include promoting open positions at local member communities, providing students with direct access to job opportunities. CALA is continuing its efforts to inform members about the recruiting opportunities available through Handshake, a widely used platform among students nationwide for job searches. Click here for more information.

Be sure to visit CALA’s Workforce Development website for additional resources and information.

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