Grant to grow Lancaster’s direct care workforce

The Lancaster Chamber Foundation will use a $600,000 grant to boost the county’s direct care workforce. 

The grant, part of the state Department of Labor & Industry‘s $4.8 million investment in Direct Care Worker Job Quality grants, will be used for the chamber’s Talent for Tomorrow Initiative which will utilize the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Talent Pipeline Management model to address direct care worker vacancies, the chamber said in a statement. 

“We are honored to be selected by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry to launch our employer-driven initiative, Talent for Tomorrow, through the Direct Care Worker Job Quality grant,” said Heather Valudes, president & CEO of the Lancaster Chamber. “Talent for Tomorrow presents us with a transformative opportunity to expand our vision for the Chamber’s collaborative efforts to address workforce challenges throughout Lancaster County.” 

The grant will be used to address direct care worker vacancies through recruitment, hiring, and skills advancement in collaboration with postsecondary institutions and community organizations, according to the chamber. 

Pennsylvania faces a significant shortage of direct care workers, particularly in the health care sector, with projections indicating a growing gap between labor demand and workforce growth, the chamber said. 

 “Lancaster County, the 6th most populous county in Pennsylvania, experiences pronounced challenges due to its aging population and robust health care sector,” the chamber said. “The direct care worker shortage affects service delivery, workforce stability, and community access to essential health care services.” 

 Talent for Tomorrow, led by the Foundation of the Lancaster Chamber, will create an employer collaborative, supported by postsecondary partners and community organizations, to implement hiring, recruitment, training, and advancement strategies and strengthen the direct care workforce pipeline. 

In addition to Lancaster County’s community members benefiting from improved access to services, Lancaster County’s direct care workforce will benefit from Talent for Tomorrow’s job quality initiatives by improving access to employment opportunities that align with individuals’ values and aspirations, developing sustainable employment pipelines for health care facilities through the cultivation of a skilled workforce with access to professional development and career advancement, and addressing disparities in access to health care services and employment opportunities among marginalized communities, the chamber said. 

“We look forward to working with our health care partners, educational institutions, and community organizations to develop a strong pipeline for in-demand health care occupations,” said Ashley Glensor, Workforce & Education Initiatives manager at the Lancaster Chamber. “We are excited for the opportunity to demonstrate a model that health care employers in Lancaster County – and across Pennsylvania – can engage with as challenges arise with finding, hiring, training, and upskilling workers for critical roles.” 

 Talent for Tomorrow is supported by the Lancaster County Workforce Alliance, which is led by the Lancaster Chamber, Economic Development Company of Lancaster County, the Community Action Partnership of Lancaster County, and the Lancaster County Workforce Development Board.