Vocational competition brings out the best of senior-care skills
A competition on senior care took place in Shanghai over the weekend.
More than 200 staff members from senior-care organizations in Shanghai took part in a competition over the weekend, showcasing their knowledge and skills in looking after and tending to old people.
The competition tested them from 10 aspects, such as treatment of fractures, use of medical ultrasonic nebulizer and helping bedridden people get up and use the wheelchair safely. The winners stand a chance to get senior-level certificates for elderly care.
The event, held in downtown Jing'an District, was part of the city's latest efforts to utilize competitions as a way to promote vocational skills in the labor force. More than 300 competitions will be held through the year in key industries with short talent supply, such as senior care, steel fixing, programming and artificial intelligence training.
The senior care sector has become a sunrise industry in the city, where one third of the population is aged at 60 or above, attracting an increasing number of people, including the younger generation, as a career choice.
A contestant explains the right way to clean teeth for old people.
"Chinese people used to prefer staying at home when they got old," said Wang Lan, head of the Shanghai Shibei Vocational Training Center.
"But with social and economic development, their mindsets are changing. Their children are too busy to take care of them and their increasing income also enables them to pay for professional services in their twilight years."
Wang said her center has been organizing training on senior care for several years and every year the seats are taken up quickly. And the trainees usually get offers before finishing the training.
She added that the average age of the trainees was around 55 eight years ago but now there are many in their 30s or 20s.
"That's because people have realized the potential of the industry," Wang pointed out.
Li Teng, 36, gave up his job in the communications industry to work in the senior care sector in 2019 after learning about the development in the latter from a relative who runs a senior care company.
"I found that I started my career in this area too late and lacked related knowledge and skills," he recalled. "So I attended a course at Shanghai Open University to receive systematic training."
In the past five years, he has worked in nursing homes and daycare centers, and now leads a team at a company that delivers hourly senior care services under a special government insurance program.
"To better manage my team and improve our service quality, I attended a training on senior-level elderly care and am now in the competition to win the qualification certificate," he explained.
A competitor shows how to treat a fracture in the leg.
