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Office of Workforce Development

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  • Dana-Farber's Workforce Development mission

    As part of the Department of Human Resources at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, the Office of Workforce Development is committed to the development of our current and future workforce. We provide meaningful programs and experiences that equip youth and adults with the necessary career and college readiness skills to successfully pursue post-secondary education and/or career advancement in health care.

    What is Workforce Development?

    Workforce Development is a broad range of activities, policies, and programs employed by various industries to create, sustain, and retain a viable workforce able to support the current and future needs of an industry.

    What we do

    At Dana-Farber, the Office of Workforce Development's programs provide pathways to careers in health care, along with intensive and comprehensive, educational, employment, and mentoring experiences. In collaboration with other Dana-Farber departments, the Office of Workforce Development provides professional growth opportunities for youth and adults, with the intention of ensuring a future health care workforce of well-prepared, highly-skilled candidates who are reflective of the diversity in our changing communities.

    Why we do it

    Our nation is experiencing a long-standing shortage of health care professionals, and the gap is projected to be even larger in the coming decade. It is estimated that in 2020, there will be a shortage of over 20,000 physicians, 28,000 nurse practitioners, and 2 million allied health workers. Dana-Farber's Office of Workforce Development works to ensure that youth and adults from underserved and underrepresented Boston neighborhoods have the access, skills, and resources necessary to pursue a health care career.