Healthcare professions such as pharmacy technicians, respiratory therapists, medical assistants and others are likely to soon face shortages of employees, according to KCRG TV.
Individuals who fill these jobs at present are hurtling toward or already in retirement and the slowdown has begun manifesting. The total number of baby boomers, as this generation is known, is estimated to be about 80 million people, which is projected to open up opportunities for healthcare staffing.
The U.S. Department of Labor bestowed a grant to the American Association of Community Colleges in 2010 and by the end of this year the funding is likely to help create a healthcare career network.
"It will assist people in determining whether a career in healthcare is a good choice for them," dean Nancy Glab with Kirkwood Community College in Iowa told the publication. "It also will provide a mapping system to map the future for someone planning a career in healthcare."
The continued development of the elderly population is projected to create as many as 3.2 million healthcare jobs during the 10-year period leading up to 2018, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.