Caring for the older generation is a complex enterprise that, as LeadingAge’s nonprofit and mission-driven members know, relies on employees with a multitude of skills and functional experience—from direct care workers to senior living administrators, affordable housing service coordinators and real estate portfolio managers to experts in technology, finance and more. And, with demand for care and services rising as America’s population grows older, supporting our members in recruiting and retaining engaged, motivated, qualified, and compassionate staff so communities thrive is critical. 

That’s why workforce is a strategic priority for LeadingAge.

In celebration of National Workforce Development Month, throughout September 2026 LeadingAge will focus on recruitment and retention. Join us in our full-on exploration of initiatives and programs underway at members, state partner associations and at LeadingAge national that seek to bring more people into the sector and keep them here once they arrive. 

“The biggest obstacle isn’t to get students to stay in aging services —they have to find it in the first place,” notes Amy Dore, professor and program director, Aging Services Leadership at Metropolitan State University in Highlands Ranch, CO. She’s a panelist on one of the more than 20 workforce- and culture-focused education sessions at LeadingAge’s Annual Meeting, Oct. 25-28 in Philadelphia. “People can’t pursue careers they don’t know exist.” 

In addition to raising awareness we will offer updates and resources on efforts about: 

• encouraging college students and international professionals to consider working in our sector 
• expanding career opportunities through internships, apprenticeships 
• overcoming, through policy change, barriers that limit the number of nursing educators, which in turn restricts students from becoming licensed registered nurses

Finally, we’ll also take a look at retention from several angles, including changing technology and culture. On the former, given the significant impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on workplaces in every sector, we’ll share insights from members on what the current changes in technology mean for their staff. How are teams being trained to succeed in the evolving environment? 

On culture—one of the sector’s more amorphous, yet nonetheless critical, challenges—which Molly Carpenter, director of workforce strategy and development, LeadingAge and the LTSS Center @UMass Boston, explored last year, we’ll share opportunities to hear from experts on the C-Suite’s role. When leaders are evaluating the culture of their organization, “the most useful question isn’t [asking] if employees are satisfied, it’s [asking] what aspects of employee experiences are created by our decisions?,” says Amy Stewart, chief nursing officer for the American Association of Post-Acute Care Nursing (AAPACN), also an Annual Meeting 2026 panelist (16-D “Can the C-Suite Influence Workplace Culture and Retention?”). Leaders need to have a level of expectation about workplace culture, she said, and acknowledges lately she’s observed many organizations investing in their own workplace cultures. “It has to be an ongoing effort,” she adds. 

And in addition to learning tips on member-led strategies to create supportive work environments, we’ll draw inspiration from LeadingAge’s board chair Christie Hinrichs, president and CEO of Boulder, CO-based Frasier, who last November reminded members that “culture is strategy,” which is why members “must keep innovating. Keep investing. Because the future of our organizations will rise or fall on whether we make our organizations places where our employees choose to stay.” 

We’re excited to get started! Join us starting September 1 by reading our newsletters (sign up here if you are not yet receiving them), following us on LinkedIn, Facebook, X, and Instagram, and visiting our 2026 National Workforce Development Month webpage on LeadingAge.org throughout #NationalWorkforceDevelopmentMonth.