NCCU To Offer Concentration To Support The Growing Senior Living Industry
Durham, NC – North Carolina Central University’s (NCCU) School of Business has added a Senior Living Community Management degree to its curriculum to prepare students for careers in retirement homes and other communities serving the growing aging population.
The U.S. population over age 65 is expected to include 73 million people by 2030 – nearly double the current percentage, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
The new degree offered through the Department of Hospitality and Tourism Administration will begin in fall 2018 and focus on management skills for Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRC), a type of residential facility that combines independent living, assisted living and skilled nursing care. With 59 CCRCs located in North Carolina of the approximate 2,000 now operating in the U.S., the industry reports a shortage of qualified managers and administrators.
“NCCU’s Hospitality and Tourism Administration Program has long recognized the senior living community market as a potential source of employment for its students,” said Anthony Nelson, Ph.D., dean of NCCU School of Business, which is home to the hospitality program. “With an aging population, the demand for professional management in this sector is growing. This concentration provides additional training in specific disciplines to help students serve this booming market.”
Working closely with the university’s College of Behavioral and Social Sciences, the senior living curriculum will prepare students to work primarily in supervisory and executive roles at residential facilities. All students will be required to complete a 500-hour internship at a senior living facility
Kevin McLeod, president and CEO of Carolina Meadows Senior Communities and Services Inc. Graduates, said program graduates will be attractive candidates for positions in these organizations.
“The pressing need for workforce development both now and into the future within the senior living industry cannot be overstated,” said McLeod, who has been a strong supporter of the program throughout its development. “We are so very fortunate to be partnering with them in this journey and look forward to all good things from this visionary and game-changing program.”
North Carolina Central University prepares students to succeed in the global marketplace. Consistently ranked as a top Historically Black College or University, NCCU offers flagship programs in the sciences, education, law, business, nursing and the arts. Founded in 1910, NCCU remains committed to diversity in and access to higher education. Our alumni excel in a wide variety of academic and professional fields. NCCU is a constituent institution of the University North Carolina System. Visit www.nccu.edu.