CALIFORNIA BUSINESS MINUTE
Healthcare Workers
10-27-09
Hi, I am Tim Johnson and welcome to the California Business Minute.
Although California as a high unemployment rate, there are sectors that
are hiring and one that is in desperate need of a workforce is healthcare.
A recent study completed by California-based Beacon Economics forecasts the
need to train over 1 million workers for careers in the ‘Allied’ healthcare
careers in California by 2030. Examples of positions that comprise ‘Allied’
healthcare careers include laboratory and X-ray technicians, nursing aides
and respiratory therapists, make up about 60 percent of all health care jobs.
Many of these positions require training certificates or associate degrees.
And it was identified in the report that the state’s community colleges are
on track to only train and certify 634,000 by 2030. Thus healthcare providers
will have to fill one out of every three allied health positions with out-of-state
workers or by Californians who leave the state for training, according to the
report.
California already employs more than 600,000 allied health care workers, who
earn about $23.3 billion, according to the report. By 2030, the state's allied
health workers are projected to earn more than $116 billion.
It is estimated that California’s population will be over 49 million by 2030.
The forecast illustrates that over 9 million will be 65 years and older, hence
the reason for the demand in the sector.
The analysis illustrates a growing gap between the number of allied health workers
needed to meet the state's health care demand and what California's training providers
will be able to supply.
I am Tim Johnson and this has been the California Business Minute.
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