Washington State University hospitality leaders have partnered with senior living professionals to ensure the Business of Aging Certificate in the Carson College of Business never gets old.

The certificate has recently been refreshed with new training modules benefiting anyone connected to or aspiring to work in the senior living industry.

The certificate is offered by the Granger Cobb Institute for the Business of Aging under the umbrella of the college's lifelong learning initiative, Carson Pro. Carson Pro offers noncredit, self-paced learning designed to help professionals build valuable skills that meet the demands of today's dynamic workplace.

"The Business of Aging Certificate serves a wide range of the workforce, such as senior-living operators, marketing and sales workers, vendors, insurers, capital partners, pharmaceutical, and technical companies," said Nancy Swanger, Granger Cobb Institute director. "Anyone who has a tie to senior living needs to be educated about the industry and its clients."

As a restaurant owner for 30 years, Swanger knows firsthand about challenges in the hospitality industry and the serious shortage in the current workforce. She said the Business of Aging Certificate can give those seeking a transition from the traditional hospitality sector to the senior-living space a resume-building credential to supercharge their career.

What's new about the certificate

Since the Business of Aging Certificate's launch in 2017, new modules focusing on asset management, technology, career opportunities, ageism, dining experience, navigating resident loss, and AI in senior living will be offered. The additions complement the certificate's existing modules focusing on key areas of operations in senior living. Learners have the option of completing the basic certificate comprised of four required modules and four electives, the premium certificate comprised of all the modules, or may pick and choose what best fits their needs. Modules may be purchased individually or packaged.

All of the existing modules have been reviewed and updated with the help of industry professionals to make them more flexible and scalable.

"Things change all the time in this industry," said Darcie Bagott, Granger Cobb Institute program specialist who helped create the certificate and manage student participation. "We rely on industry partners to determine what direction we need to take to serve the workforce."

Things change all the time in this industry. We rely on industry partners to determine what direction we need to take to serve the workforce.

For example, Adam Clark, president of Aegis Development and chair of the Granger Cobb Institute's Innovation Leadership Council, guided a refresh of the asset management and technology modules to include real-world examples. Molly Wolniewicz, SHBM adjunct faculty member and senior living sales consultant, added a senior-living storytelling component to the sales and marketing module along with information on achieving census metrics.

"The COVID-19pandemic disrupted the senior living census benchmarks, and we are aiming to educate managers about sales and marketing tactics to reclaim a 95% occupancy without compromising rates," said Swanger.

The new marketplace and learning platform supporting Carson Pro certificates offers unique features including embedded social media tools, program-level reporting, and branded corporate portals that appeal to both buyers and learners.

"The portals allow operators to more easily make an investment in the professional development of their employees," said Swanger. "People can enjoy a streamlined shopping cart experience we weren't able to offer previously."

What's on the horizon

Swanger and Bagott said plans are in the works to add modules as demand increases, and continued collaboration between the institute and industry leaders will be key. Improvements could include the addition of state regulations modules, basics of hospitality, and expanded continuing education credits.

"Being housed in an accredited college of business and the School of Hospitality Business Management that's currently ranked No. 2 in the U.S. and No. 5 in the world puts some chops behind the certificate," said Swanger. "It elevates the WSU brand and flags the university as a partner in creating a talent pool for a world that's aging."