It’s no secret that the population of British Columbia and the rest of Canada has been aging for several decades. The Baby Boomers demographic represents people born between 1946 and 1964, meaning the oldest boomers will reach age 70 by next year. Since this group accounts for the largest population segment in BC as well as across Canada, North America and most of the western world, population aging is expected to peak around 2031 when the youngest boomers will be well into their 60s.
This has caused many to reflect on how this will play out for BC’s healthcare system overall in terms of money and resources. The conclusion most have come to is that the system can sustain itself even when significantly more people need medical care on a regular basis.
The important question now is how this will affect those hoping to break in to the healthcare industry in BC. Prospects look good for a few reasons:
Helping Seniors Stay Active Will be in Demand
One of the best ways to stay healthy when you reach an advanced age is to be active. Fortunately, BC is already the type of environment that lends itself to a very active lifestyle. Mountain hiking is certainly an activity that will garner more and more attention as larger segments of the population continue to age.
Sometimes all that is needed are suggestions, guidance and encouragement to participate in healthy outdoor activities. Given that there will be an increasingly larger number of people looking for a way to stay active, this is definitely a good time to get your online gerontology training.
More People Will Need Medical Care
As the population ages, there will be a greater need for medical professionals in a variety of fields. Most importantly there will be an increased demand for age-specific care such as that provided by personal support workers. This means that you don’t necessarily have to focus on a field like geriatrics to find work in the upcoming years. There will be plenty of demand for professionals who have taken nursing courses or received cardiology technician training in BC.
Retirement Leads to Job Openings
While looking at the general aging population of BC, we must not forget that this phenomenon includes healthcare workers as well. Many of the workers in the healthcare sector are themselves in the Baby Boomer generation and will soon be reaching retirement age, if they aren’t already there.
This is happening across the board in all healthcare sectors. The vacancies created by retirement will need to be filled even quicker than those new positions created to treat the aging population. For the next fifteen years, there is predicted to be plenty of entry level work for qualified professionals in BC’s healthcare industry.
What healthcare jobs do you think will be in high demand in 15 years?
![An ECG demonstrates the extensive antero-septal-lateral myocardial infarction [heart attack] that Taryn witnessed.](https://stenbergcollege.com/wp-content/smush-webp/2022/12/ecg-1024x530.jpg.webp)
