New issue brief from National Skills Coalition illustrates the enormous value and primary challenges facing these essential workers
Washington, DC – Today, National Skills Coalition (NSC) announced the launch of the Care Workforce Advisory Council—and released a new brief on care workers—to address the urgent challenges facing the care workforce as demand for long-term care and childcare services continues to grow nationally. The Council comprises 20 industry-leading professionals and experts in direct care, early childhood care and education, and workforce development. Over the next four months, the Council will meet to identify key opportunities to improve skills training, career pathways, and other workforce development supports that improve jobs for care workers, culminating in a fall 2025 report with learnings and ideas for how both government and industry leaders could support this workforce.
The demand for care workers is expected to surge in the coming years. Researchers estimate that between 2022 and 2032, a total of 8.9 million direct care jobs will need to be filled due to new demand and turnover. Demand for early care and childhood education workers is also on the rise, as families across the country struggle to access affordable, high-quality childcare—a foundational element of a strong workforce and economy.
Despite their essential role, many care workers face low wages, limited benefits, and few opportunities for career advancement, resulting in high turnover and instability within the sector.
“Care workers are the foundation of a functioning and thriving economy, yet they are often undervalued,” said Robert Espinoza, CEO of National Skills Coalition and member of the council. “This council will focus on identifying concrete workforce development policy solutions and industry opportunities to ensure care jobs are high-quality jobs—with good training, clear career pathways, and the respect these workers deserve.”
Care workers—who are primarily women, people of color, and immigrants—face persistent barriers to career growth and stability, including low wages, limited access to training, and few advancement opportunities. Federal and state workforce policies and programs, such as those funded through the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), play a critical role in improving job quality and expanding access to training and clear career pathways, yet they often fall short in addressing care workers. More must be done to strengthen these policies and programs to ensure care workers of every background have a fair shot at real opportunity.
The Care Workforce Advisory Council builds on the success of NSC’s Industry Recovery Panels, which in 2021 helped shape federal workforce investments after the COVID-19 pandemic. Through this council, NSC is partnering with care industry leaders to develop actionable strategies that strengthen care jobs and ensure workers have the skills and support they need.
Members of the Care Workforce Advisory Council are:
Helen Adeosun, CEO and Founder of CareAcademy
Teresa Bello, Pre-K Teacher at PS 185, United Federation of Teachers
Lelaine Bigelow, Executive Director of the Georgetown Center on Poverty and Inequality
Daniel Bustillo, Deputy Executive Director for 1199SEIU Training and Employment Funds
Tracey Carey, Executive Director of Midwest Urban Strategies
Kate Connor, Professor at Harry S Truman College (City Colleges of Chicago)
Kevin Coughlin, Policy Initiatives Advisor at the Wisconsin Department of Health Services
Corinne Eldridge, President and CEO of Center for Caregiver Advancement
Robert Espinoza, CEO of National Skills Coalition
Pronita Gupta, Senior Fellow at The Workshop Project (Economic Opportunity Funders)
Mary Harrill, Senior Director for Higher Education at the National Association for the Education of Young Children
Nicole Howell, Director of Direct Care Workforce Development at the National Council on Aging
Nicole Jorwic, Chief Program Officer at Caring Across Generations
Michelle Rafferty, Chief Program Officer at National Fund for Workforce Solutions
Kezia Scales, Vice President of Research and Evaluation at PHI
Adrienne Smith, President and CEO of New Mexico Caregivers Coalition
Kevin Smith, CEO of Best of Care, Inc
Nicole Sohn, Co-Founder of Journey Discovery Center
Robyn Stone, Senior Vice President of Research at LeadingAge
Van Ton-Quinlivan, CEO of Futuro Health
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