Workforce News 2026Apr30

TPS Support at Hill Event

LeadingAge members and residents gathered on Capitol Hill on April 28 to spotlight the caregiver workforce crisis, underscoring the importance of foreign-born workers. Speakers focused on protecting legal employment avenues such as Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to maintain a stable aging services workforce, and to meet future need. Participants urged lawmakers to act on policies that support caregivers and ensure older adults can continue to receive quality care. Read our article about the event.

EAD Renewal Delays: Steps Members Can Take

Aging services providers are grappling with fallout from the Department of Homeland Security’s October 30, 2025, interim final rule, which ended automatic Employment Authorization Document extensions for many categories, contributing to processing backlogs and leaving some workers without timely authorization. This article provides practical steps employers and employees can take to check status, request help, and escalate when needed.

Sen. Cassidy Introduces Apprenticeship Bills During National Apprenticeship Week

On April 27, Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chair Bill Cassidy (R‑LA), along with Republican colleagues, introduced two bills aimed at strengthening and modernizing the federal Registered Apprenticeship system. The bill introductions coincide with National Apprenticeship Week, a nationwide effort led by the U.S. Department of Labor to highlight apprenticeship as an “earn‑while‑you‑learn” workforce strategy and to showcase how registered apprenticeships are expanding across industries, including healthcare. The proposals dovetail with the administration’s priority of making apprenticeships the center of the country’s workforce development strategy. One of the Cassidy bills would establish a new advisory committee within the Department of Labor to review and improve how registered apprenticeship data are collected and used. The committee would develop recommendations to improve data quality, better integrate apprenticeship data with other federal workforce and education systems, and reduce administrative burdens for apprenticeship sponsors. The bill also emphasizes stronger tracking of apprentice outcomes, including completion rates and earnings, and improved worker access to their own training and employment records. The second bill would create clearer timelines and expectations for registering new apprenticeship programs. Under the proposal, states or the Department of Labor would be required to identify clerical issues within 30 days of a program submission and make a final approval or denial decision within 90 days. The bill also includes new transparency requirements, directing states to publicly post apprenticeship standards and related requirements, and authorizes significant formula funding to help states meet these timelines, with accountability measures if deadlines are missed. For LeadingAge members facing persistent workforce shortages — particularly among direct care roles — streamlined federal processes and expanded state capacity could make apprenticeships a more accessible and practical option.

Here is your Workforce Weekly Recap from National