Our Work

Forecasting Michigan's Health Care Workforce

The health care industry is a growing sector of Michigan's economy. The Michigan Department of Energy, Labor, and Economic Growth selected PPA to analyze trends and changes in Michigan's health care workforce landscape.

PPA's team is researching the impact of technology, health care reform legislation, and the aging of the Baby Boom Generation on Michigan's health care workforce now and in the future.

The PPA Team: Senior Policy Consultant Laurence Rosen is the project manager. He has extensive experience in health care work force issues, and was Michigan's first state demographer.

Advisory Roundtable: PPA convened a roundtable of leading experts to provide advice and insight into the health care workforce and health care workforce development system in Michigan.

High-Value Research: PPA is reviewing and analyzing changes in Michigan's health care workforce since 2004. It is identifying key trends in health care delivery, policy, demographics, and technological change. The study includes an assessment of the current demand for health care occupations among leading employers and an analysis of the supply of workers through an inventory of organizations providing training and education.

Forecasting: Based on this research, PPA will prepare projections of supply and demand for a variety of health care workforce occupations in Michigan over the next 5 to 10 years.

Best Practices: PPA is identifying practices that have proven successful in Michigan and elsewhere to prepare young people, displaced workers, and others to fill the most pressing needs for workers at various skill and educational levels.

Practical Application: Michigan workforce development officials plan to use the results of this study to improve the alignment of health care workforce training with employers needs and make better use of the educational and training resources available.