The North (Greater Sacramento) COE has released a new report, Pathways Forward: Collaborative Solutions to Allied Health Clinical Placement Challenges, highlighting a critical issue facing all of California’s healthcare workforce: the shortage of clinical placement opportunities for allied health students. As demand for trained allied health professionals continues to rise—driven by retirements, burnout, and an aging population—this report shines a spotlight on one of the primary barriers to meeting workforce needs: the scarcity of hands-on clinical training opportunities essential for program completion, licensing, and employment.

The study focuses on the Greater Sacramento region and incorporates a mix of labor market analysis, survey data, and stakeholder interviews. Allied health jobs in the subregion account for over 27,000 positions and are expected to generate more than 3,000 annual openings over the next five years, yet local community colleges confer an average of just 460 awards per year in these fields.

Long-standing partnerships, consistent communication, student preparedness, and data sharing emerged as essential strategies for success. To realize these recommendations, the report calls for the development of subregional collaboratives, exploration of state and federal funding opportunities, and deeper engagement with statewide and national workforce development organizations.

“If we don’t build the future, we won’t have the staff necessary—and that will just hurt us in the future.”
— Stakeholder Interviewee, Employer Perspective

Read or download the full report: Pathways Forward