Geriatric Career Pathways - Building Pathways Into the Healthcare Workforce
PI-GWEP supports workforce development initiatives that introduce learners to careers serving older adults while strengthening the healthcare workforce across Hawaiʻi. Through partnerships with community colleges, healthcare organizations, and community-based programs, learners gain practical experience, develop workforce-ready skills, and explore careers in geriatrics, long-term care, primary care, and community-based services for older adults.
Community Health Worker (CHW) Training & Apprenticeships
In partnership with Kapiʻolani Community College (KCC), PI-GWEP supports the Community Health Worker (CHW) Certificate Program and apprenticeship experiences that prepare trainees for frontline roles in community-based healthcare. GWEP faculty contribute geriatrics and Age-Friendly Health Systems content while supporting training experiences that emphasize care coordination, health education, community engagement, and resource navigation. Students complete classroom instruction alongside practicum and apprenticeship experiences in community-based settings, helping them apply their skills while supporting individuals, families, and older adults across Hawaiʻi. Recent cohorts have included learners from Oʻahu, Maui, Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi, Kauaʻi, and Hawaiʻi Island. PI-GWEP continues to collaborate with partners to explore innovative workforce development models that support the growing need for community-based healthcare workers.
Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Training
Through a partnership with Leeward Community College (LCC), PI-GWEP supports efforts to strengthen the Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) workforce by enhancing training in geriatrics, dementia care, and Age-Friendly Health Systems principles. Using a train-the-trainer approach, faculty receive specialized instruction that is integrated into CNA education and sustained across future cohorts. Training includes person-centered approaches to dementia care and prepares students for careers in long-term care and other settings serving older adults. PI-GWEP also collaborates with workforce and employer partners to explore opportunities that support workforce recruitment, retention, and career advancement within the long-term care sector
Career Exploration & Workforce Development
PI-GWEP works with academic institutions, healthcare organizations, and community partners to create pathways into careers focused on aging and the care of older adults. These efforts connect learners with educational opportunities, clinical experiences, mentorship, and workforce development activities that support entry into healthcare professions serving older adults. By strengthening pathways from education to practice, PI-GWEP helps prepare a workforce equipped to meet the needs of Hawaii's growing older adult population while expanding access to care in rural, underserved, and community-based settings throughout the state
