The Campus Academy at SF Campus for Jewish Living Builds a Stronger Workforce to Support an Aging Nation

Innovative Tuition-Free Program Opens More Caregiver Career Opportunities Amid Rising Demand

SAN FRANCISCO, April 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- As the U.S. faces a deepening caregiver shortage alongside a rapidly aging population, the San Francisco Campus for Jewish Living (SFCJL) is expanding a workforce solution that began on its campus and now aims to serve the broader community.

The Campus Academy is a tuition-free, "earn-and-learn" certified nursing assistant (CNA) training program designed to create meaningful career pathways. The program's inaugural cohort reflects a bold but human-centered idea: the people who already sustain a care community—housekeeping staff, kitchen workers, laundry teams, and their relatives—are often best positioned to grow into healthcare roles when given access, support, and opportunity.

To mark this milestone, SFCJL will host its first Campus Academy Graduation Ceremony on Friday, April 24, at 11:00 am, on campus located at 302 Silver Ave, San Francisco, CA, celebrating the inaugural class and highlighting the program's next phase of expansion. Media are invited to attend and speak with graduates, program leadership, and campus residents about the intersection of aging, workforce development, and care quality.

Led by Edwin Cabigao, PhD, RN, SFCJL's Chief Nursing Officer and a former Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), the program pairs state-required CNA training with leadership development and patient-centered care practices. Initially focused on existing campus employees and their families, The Campus Academy is now being broadened to reach individuals seeking meaningful entry into healthcare work, removing cost barriers while offering hands-on, real-world training in a senior living environment. "We want to change lives," Cabigao said. "Not just job titles or confidence levels, but the future of entire families."

The need is urgent. As the population over 65 continues to expand, and the number of adults over 85 grows faster than any other age group, the demand for skilled, compassionate caregivers is outpacing supply. Healthcare systems nationwide are struggling to recruit and retain workers, putting pressure on care quality, staff wellbeing, and families seeking support for aging loved ones.

The Campus Academy responds by pairing rigorous CNA training with leadership development and a values-based approach to care. In addition to meeting California Department of Public Health requirements, the curriculum includes advanced instruction in patient-centered practices and Conscious Touch, an energy-based healing modality taught and practiced at the Campus. Graduates are prepared not only for certification but for long-term growth within the healthcare field.

For residents and families at SFCJL, the impact is immediate and personal: a stronger, more stable workforce; caregivers who are connected to the community; and a care environment rooted in continuity, dignity, and trust. For staff participants, the program offers economic mobility, professional validation, and a pathway into a resilient career at a time when healthcare talent is needed more than ever.

The Campus Academy reflects SFCJL's broader commitment to innovation in aging services, recognizing that quality care for older adults depends not only on buildings and programs, but on investing in the people who deliver care every day.

About the San Francisco Campus for Jewish Living (SFCJL)
Nestled in San Francisco's Excelsior neighborhood on nine acres, the San Francisco Campus for Jewish Living (SFCJL) is a non-profit leading senior services organization in Northern California, providing older adults with comprehensive and innovative care that fosters purpose, dignity, and joy. Serving people of all faiths and backgrounds, SFCJL brings together skilled nursing, rehabilitation, assisted living, memory care, and workforce development on one integrated campus. For more than 150+ years, SFCJL has fully embraced aging in a community rooted in Jewish values of compassion, connection, and excellence, with 950+ staff proudly serving over 2,500 individuals each year. Learn more at www.sfcjl.org and frankresidences.org.

PRESS CONTACT:
Angela Ingel
[email protected]
415.235.2599             

SOURCE San Francisco Campus for Jewish Living