A rapidly shifting economy is driving interest in these alternative pathways. Apprenticeships, certifications, and job training programs are offering real-world experience and delivering job-ready candidates.
This shift is especially impactful in our healthcare system. Across the country, 85 percent of healthcare facilities report shortages of allied health professionals. These are essential roles in patient care. From medical assistants to radiologic technologists, these roles are on the frontline taking vitals, managing records, and supporting our doctors and nurses. When allied health roles go unfilled, the entire system is strained, the cost of care rises, and providers burn out. And it’s ultimately patients who suffer.
Encouragingly, we have the tools we need to fill these gaps. Short-term credential programs can deliver job-ready certified professionals in a matter of weeks. High schools can implement programs that help students get started on healthcare career paths, earning patient care technician or clinical medical assistant certifications in time for graduation. They are also accessible options for adults who are looking to change careers and enter healthcare.
Emerging research even shows that short-term, noncredit credential programs offer a viable and attractive alternative for individuals who may not want, or be able, to pursue a traditional four-year degree. Taken together, these trends present a powerful opportunity: to address the allied health workforce shortage by embracing affordable, high-value, accredited training pathways that better align education with workforce needs.
To seize this opportunity, the nation must pursue a coordinated strategy that supports learners, employers, and educators alike.
First, students need earlier and more meaningful exposure to real-world career pathways. High schoolers are often steered toward four-year degrees by default, with limited awareness of alternatives. Expanding partnerships between schools and healthcare providers can give students hands-on experience in clinical settings, helping them make informed decisions about their futures.
According to the National Healthcareer Association, employers overwhelmingly value nationally-recognized credentials, with nearly nine in ten hiring managers saying they are more likely to hire candidates who have them. Implementing job upskilling opportunities for existing employees is a win-win, filling needed vacancies while also improving employee retention and satisfaction. By building clear career ladders and expanding entry-level opportunities, health systems can create sustainable pipelines that not only attract new talent but also retain and advance existing workers.
Finally, improving transparency around credentials, ensuring that certifications clearly signal the skills employers need, will help reduce mismatches in the labor market and build confidence in nontraditional pathways. For certification programs to truly serve students, employers, and patients, they must be both accredited and rigorously tested. It’s also vital that a credential signals real competence, not just completion. Standardized testing reinforces that assurance by validating that graduates have mastered the knowledge and skills required to provide patient care safely and effectively in real-world settings.
In fields like allied health, where patient outcomes are directly at stake, this level of quality control is essential. It also builds trust among employers, who are far more likely to hire candidates whose credentials are backed by recognized standards, and among students, who are investing time and money with the expectation that their training will lead to meaningful employment and career advancement opportunities. Without accreditation and testing, the value of certification programs can become uneven, undermining confidence in the very pathways that are meant to expand opportunity and strengthen the workforce.
The growing interest in alternatives to four-year degrees is an opportunity that, if harnessed thoughtfully, can help solve one of the most pressing workforce shortages in the country while enabling more individuals to access educational opportunities. By increasing awareness of high-value credentialed careers, strengthening connections between learners and employers, and incentivizing investment in allied health training, we can build a more resilient, accessible, and effective healthcare workforce.
Dr. Julianne Malveaux is President and Founder at Economic Education; Dean, College of Ethnic Studies, California State University, LA; and President Emerita of Bennett College for Women
