Review 2025

Need a More Robust Healthcare Workforce? Support High School Career Education in the Sciences

Teachers College Record
Journal · Vol. 127 · Issue 5 · pp. 187-194
Abstract

In this commentary, the authors make the case for considering more closely a human resource issue that became glaringly evident during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic—a major shortage in healthcare workers. The authors argue that a potential solution is through nurturing and encouraging interest in healthcare professions early in high school through career and technical education programs of study. Toward this goal, we must consider how to expand access to such programs, ensure adequate funding, and improve the pipeline for high school health sciences teachers. © Teachers College 2025.

Keywords

Author Keywords

Workforce development career and technical education healthcare

Index Keywords

Author Affiliations
The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
Funding & Acknowledgements
National Science Foundation, NSF
Grant: DRK-12, DRL2101163
The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This work was supported by the National Science Foundation through a Discovery Research PreK\u201312 award (DRK-12 grant number DRL2101163).
National Science Foundation, NSF
The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This work was supported by the National Science Foundation through a Discovery Research PreK\u201312 award (DRK-12 grant number DRL2101163).
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