SAN DIEGO — Is it possible President Trump will work with lawmakers to improve employment options for immigrants? This seemingly unlikely scenario could actually play out after the November elections, said the leader of the nation’s largest long-term care organization on Monday.
Just as President Clinton worked with Republicans after disastrous 1994 midterms, President Trump could triangulate Democratic immigration issues to his advantage, predicted Mark Parkinson, president and CEO of the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living. Numerous polls indicate that the Democrats seem likely to regain control of the House of Representatives in the November midterms, although Republicans are currently predicted to hold the Senate.
In addition to announcing hopes for incremental post-election immigration reform, Parkinson also unveiled several resources designed to address ongoing worker shortages. One is a workforce resource center, which is available on the association’s website. This new option offers a variety of recruitment and retention tools based on effective practices, he said during a media briefing at the group’s annual convention at the San Diego Convention Center.
AHCA/NCAL also announced a new partnership with PHI, a group that offers workforce training programs for direct-care workers.
Parkinson noted that members regularly cite worker recruitment and retention as a leading challenge.
“It is clear that this is a top-level issue,” he emphasized.
Exacerbating current conditions is historically low national unemployment rate, which has dipped below 4.0%, intensifying qualified worker shortages in many areas.
