The Penn Foster Blog

Amidst a new year approaching, the country is grappling with rising COVID-19 cases and worker shortages, predicting the future of work in 2021 is different than ever before. While the October jobs report shows employment numbers slowly clawing their way back up from the historic decrease of the spring, some sectors are expected to lose what jobs they’ve gained. However, the impact of the pandemic is also expected to influence what jobs are in-demand throughout the next year – and perhaps the next decade. What roles will be most needed in 2021 and how can you prepare to meet that demand? Here’s what you should know.

There is no question that the pandemic has resulted in a shift in thinking about how work is conducted. Workers now contemplate how to strategically drive their careers forward, or restart them, and employers reconsider how best to strengthen or retrain their workforce while so much remains unknown about the future and economic growth. As working from home has become a new normal for many, businesses in high demand industries are seeking skills training to better prepare their employees for long-term success. This is due in large part to the ease and cost of upskilling current employees as opposed to recruiting new ones.

National Apprenticeship Week (NAW) is a nationwide celebration that brings together business leaders, career seekers, labor, educational institutions, and other partners in celebrating and acknowledging their support for apprenticeships. In addition to celebration, this week also calls for helpful communication, encouraging relevant leaders to showcase the programs apprenticeship-seekers can explore, as well as the stories of success found by apprentices of the past.

There is no doubt that the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic will be long-reaching, affecting almost all industries well into the future. In order to survive and thrive post-pandemic, being able to pivot and adapt to the changes is a must. For the veterinary industry, which has seen an influx of new patients and clients due to an increase in pet ownership, a change in processes has already made a difference for practices across the country. From leveraging technology to improving communication, here’s how the pandemic has changed the way veterinary practices do business presently, which could carry forward post-pandemic.

In business, for a program or plan to be considered a success, it needs to show positive return on investment (ROI). With sales metrics and revenue benchmarks, it’s fairly easy to measure the return and impact of your strategy. However, for strategies and plans involving human capital, getting a clear picture of how your investment in workforce training effects the business isn’t quite as straightforward. People are variable. But it’s also true that people – human capital – are essential to growing your business, revenue, and improving retention rates. As a necessary investment for employers, understanding the impact of effective workforce training can help you build a strong program with positive results for your employees and business.

Veterinary technicians have become essential personnel during the pandemic, adapting to curbside appointments and telehealth to allow the veterinarians to focus on more dire client cases. While veterinary technicians are vital to a well-run practice in any year, this one has been even more challenging, and they’ve met that challenge head on. That makes celebrating their accomplishments and dedication during National Veterinary Technician Week especially important in 2020. Our Veterinary Academy staff, partners, and distinguished alumni came together to offer knowledge, hope, and encouragement to veterinary technicians across the country. If you missed a session or want to share the discussion with staff and learners, check out the recap of the week below.

As veterinary clinics continue to juggle an influx of new pet owners and increasing wellness checks from current owners, all while navigating updated covid-19 restrictions, credentialed vet techs have become more essential than ever. While the hard work of dedicated technicians has been celebrated each year during Veterinary Technician Week this year’s celebration is a special one. As essential workers, veterinary technicians have been on the front lines during the pandemic, ensuring the wellness of clients’ family pets. Rounding out a week of webinars, celebration, and awareness of what it takes to be a veterinary technician, Banfield Pet Hospital President, Brian Garish, took time to chat with Keyana Beamon, a Banfield employee and Penn Foster 2020 Graduate of the Year.

At a time when healthcare is on everyone’s mind, staffing continues to be a challenge for many facilities, especially hospitals and clinics in rural areas. Unfortunately, many rural hospitals struggled to meet staffing targets even before COVID-19 began to strain the entire U.S. healthcare system. Addressing that challenge is no simple task but offering training and workforce development opportunities to displaced and incumbent support staff can be a strong start.

As the COVID-19 pandemic took hold and caused the US unemployment rate to spike to levels even higher than those seen during the Great Recession, Dr. Robert Jordan knew his nonprofit organization, Constituent Services Worldwide (CSW), was uniquely positioned to help the Greater Washington, D.C. area in this time of need. Formed after Dr. Jordan’s two-term administration as an elected Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner ended in 2011, CSW is a “multi-faceted Public Benefit Corporation designed to be a catalyst for government initiatives and resource for private sector clients.”

Patient-centered care has been a buzzword for years. It’s so commonly used that it’s hard to tell what the phrase means anymore. Yet, true patient-centered care is more important than ever. As patient preferences change and the healthcare industry grows, providers must meet a whole new standard of care.