The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the risk of underinvestment and shortages in the health workforce, globally. Health workforce shortages offer an opportunity to prepare and employ young people for meaningful jobs in the health sector, while also supporting further development of the health ecosystem. Three critical and growing sub-sectors within the health workforce could offer opportunities to increase youth employment: (i) new non-clinical support roles (ii) digital health jobs and (iii) jobs in the care economy. Overall, gaps in the health workforce supply chain must be addressed through investment in education, TVET infrastructure and resources to align workforce demand and supply for emerging healthcare jobs and the migratory health labor force.