THE VALUE OF EXPERIENCE IN INCREASING UNDERGRADUATES’ CAREER INTEREST IN WORKING WITH OLDER ADULTS

摘要

A well-trained workforce is key to meeting the demands of an aging population that is expected to nearly triple by 2030 (CDC, 2015). Ageist stereotypes and lack of knowledge about the aging process among younger adults are two prominent hurdles to meeting these demands. Undergraduates may have more gerontology-related career interest if they have had more contact with older adults and aging course work (Kalisch, et al., 2013). Gerontology-focused career interests of 816 undergraduate students were assessed by employing logistic regression with three blocks of predictors: past experience, knowledge, and attitudes. Results suggest that females were 1.52 times more likely to have career interest in working with older adults compared to males (p=.02). Individuals who had course experiences (practicum/internships) with older adults were 2.34 times more likely to have career interest in working with this population than those who did not have such experience (p<.001). Undergraduate students who participated in classes which offered aging-related content were 1.29 times more likely to express interest in working with older adults (p=.003). These results suggest that interest in working with older adults is related to educational opportunities and knowledge about aging. Educational policies should reflect these findings to achieve the well-trained workforce needed to meet the need of the aging population.