In the coming years, the population of the elderly in Malaysia will increase exponentially, representing 15% of the population in just 10 years. This is perceived as an issue especially among working families. With this in mind, UTAR and CARE Concierge Sdn Bhd (CARE Concierge) partnered to provide the Caregiver Training and Development Programme.

The Caregiver Training and Development Programme is a new economic recovery initiative under the HRDF. The programme is also known as PENJANA HRDF Gerak Insan Gemilang (GIG) initiative. The government, through PENJANA, emphasises on training in terms of reskilling and upskilling Malaysians to enhance the employability of the unemployed in the wake of the Covid-19. These efforts are implemented through collaborations with various ministries and agencies. The HRDF also seeks qualified partners to deliver the initiatives crafted as part of the short to medium-term Covid-19 economic recovery plan. It is specifically related to job placement, entrepreneurship, self-employment and market-driven industrial revolution 4.0 training.

The Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS) and Centre for Corporate and Community Development (CCCD) are working together in collaboration with CARE Concierge on the Caregiver programme. The programme aims to train up to 1,000 participants in Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Johor. Moreover, it encourages fresh graduates, job seekers, retrenched workers and school leavers to participate to learn new skills which would give them an advantage in their future jobs.

Under the programme, participants will learn about the importance of caregiving, basic health and safety precautions of a caregiver, assess general health status, basic mobility needs, hygienic needs, dietary needs, post-hospitalisation care, advanced communication skills, basic medication administration, physical exercises, care for the post-operative patient, cognitive health, palliative care and many more.

Participants who have completed the programme will earn a certificate of completion in Specialised Eldercare, awarded by UTAR (worth RM3,500), fully sponsored training by HRDF and RM350 allowance. Successful participants will also get job placements at CARE Concierge in HomeCARE, with potential earning of up to RM4,500 per month.

The first group, comprising 13 participants, started the 10-day course on 14 September 2020 at YMCA KL. The course witnessed an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) held on 25 September 2020. It was conducted by lecturers from FMHS Department of Nursing and the Department of Physiotherapy.

Training the participants were FMHS Department of Nursing Head Liew Siew Fun, lecturers Woo Li Fong, S. Sheela Devi, Choo Peak Yean and Nadia Safirah Rusli. Present at the certificate presentation ceremony was CCCD Director Lim Guat Yen.

Liew said, “Eldercare is one of the fastest-growing industries in Malaysia and is recession-proof; it continues to grow even during a pandemic. This training is a multifaceted strategy that involves not only bringing more awareness to careers in this field but also doing our part as Malaysian in caring for the elderly which is in line with UTAR’s belief to give back to the society. The two-week intensive programme will be followed by two weeks of practical training to get more hands-on experience. This programme serves as a starting point where upon completion the participants are ready to start their career as they already have a foundation in basic care.”

CARE Concierge Chief Executive Officer Martin Yap said, “We were invited by the government to help in the process of kick-starting the economy and generate job opportunities. Thus, our role is to train more professional caregivers to help out the seniors and elderly which we are quite short of. The CARE Concierge provides nurses, therapists and caregivers as well as home care services. This enables professional caregivers and therapists to provide services at one’s home. This is a new concept whereby instead of going to the hospitals and centres, we do it at the convenience of being at home. This is a continuous learning process, thus, we will come up with new programmes.”

He added, “Physical skills are necessary but more importantly the individual must be passionate about the job and have the heart to do the job. Since the individual is driven by passion, they would naturally want to take care of people. Aside from that, skill sets are also equally important.”

CARE Concierge Chief Marketing Officer Anna Chew said, “CARE Concierge is a certified HRDF training company which provides nurses, therapists and caregivers (CARE Pros) to the home for post-hospitalisation recovery and eldercare, supported by our proprietary technology. We are Alibaba Jumpstarter’s Global Top 40 Startup, Wild Digital Startup Disruptor of 2019 and Winner of Ageing Asia Eldercare Innovation Awards 2020 in four categories.”

She added, “CARE Concierge provides intensive training to get participants certified as professional caregivers. There is a high demand for this profession around the world. We highly encourage fresh graduates, job seekers, recently retrenched workers, and school leavers to join this training. The programme starts with understanding what the profession is and it helps participants develop the right skills to succeed in their jobs. This career is in high demand even across the world.”

“This programme is recognised by the government and UTAR. There are plenty of opportunities for employment such as hospitals, nursing home, home care and specialised care as well. I think we need more male nurses. The comprehensive course is excellent. Before we started the course, we did not know anything. But now, I have the confidence and the knowledge,” said one of the participant Christina Teo.