Thank you to the Board of LTC Administrators for reviewing the requirements for the AIT program.  As an administrator of 21 years, I have worked alongside a group of leaders that are both skilled and passionate.  Most started their career path in the industry outside of the administration field. Yet, they found a strong talent for leadership. Others became administrators as a second career.  

Please consider opening up the pathways to becoming a licensed Administrator.  According to a study by The New York Federal Reserve Bank, only 27% of graduates work in their field of study. This was from a database of 125-million professional profiles.  For most, their field is their frist major career milestone but certainly not their last. Most find a different path.  It is more of a winding than a straight road.  With a majority of administrators considering retirement, we need the ability to replenish the field.  History tells us that we "grow our own".  We promote from within.  To widen the ability with coursework and experience would enhance the industry's ability. 

This is an industry of both skill and passion.  When those align, we see great accomplishments.  Please help us to widen our opportunity to find the great not just the good.   

Thank you for proposing to broaden the pathways for licensing in senior living. As a licensed administrator, I see the benefits of bringing fresh faces into the industry with ideas that could lead us into the next generation. The number of aging adults over the next several years will quickly outgrow what we can currently accommodate. I strongly feel that people should be given a chance to shine, especially when we are so limited with the number of licensed people in senior living today. And, why shouldn't we in senior living be able to share our passion with people who may not know how great it is or who may not know this could be a path for them. Thank you for your time and consideration to better the senior living world for all.

First off, I would like to start by thanking everyone who has voiced their opinions with the new Administrator-in-Training pathway which will open up opportunities to those hard-working talented individuals.  They have put the time and effort to learn what must be done to run the daily operations in the nursing home or assisted living facility, but they only need that little help from the legal system, a certificate. I appreciate the time and effort from everyone to make this pathway a reality, yet I am only asking for the Administrator-in-Training program to be easy to find, and for anyone who is eligible to be able to attend the program. I am only suggesting having a community college or a university to teach the theory, but the practical aspect could be taught at a hospital or long-term facility. This will alleviate the extra work for the preceptors for them to focus on teaching the daily tasks of the operations. The nursing program is well organized and has clinical rotations at hospitals or long-term facilities. Just a tought. 

Thank you for your consideration to enhance training and add an additional pathway towards licensure.  As a licensed nursing home administrator for 10 years, I have seen the growing need for licensed administrators, especially those with the passion to serve our aging population.  There should be an AIT pathway for those with years of experience and a strong passion for serving our industry.