Addressing the Needs of an Ageing Population
After more than two months of Circuit Breaker measures, Singapore is gradually reopening as restrictions are carefully being lifted. Our nation continues to battle the Covid-19 pandemic and is still being affected by one of the worst recessions, resulting in job losses and lower wages. However, despite the economic downturn, Singapore remains a good place for successful and active ageing as more senior-friendly centres are being built to enable them to lead better and more meaningful lives.
New Opportunities Arise
According to the Singapore Department of Statistics, from 2015 to 2030, the ageing population in Singapore (elderly population aged 65 and above) is projected to double to 900,000. This means that one in every four Singaporeans will fall in that age group. In fact, the Government plans for more eldercare and aged care facilities to be completed by 2023 to cater for the growing demands of our silver generation.1
With the expansion of new healthcare and medical facilities, this will lead to the need for more healthcare practitioners.
Under the SGUnited Jobs initiative, more than 40,000 jobs will be created within the next one year2. This includes both short term and long term roles. Some positions to be created include nurses, clinicians, care staff, programme coordinators and patient service associates.
Getting a Head Start with Hua Mei Training Academy
The Hua Mei Training Academy (HMTA) is a dedicated provider of training in community-based eldercare, supporting the urgent need for capacity building in that service sector. HMTA channels the knowledge and skills acquired by the Hua Mei Centre for Successful Ageing and the International Longevity Centre – Singapore to the wider community and other eldercare professionals to impact change and engender age-friendly values and practices.
Programmes offered by HMTA include both classroom training and attachments, to ensure participants are equipped with essential skills for emerging roles ahead of hiring demand.
Courses under the Advance Primary Care for Homebound Elders series impart health practitioners with foundational knowledge and skillsets that is crucial to the delivery of a high-quality home-based primary care. The WSQ Advance Certificate and Diploma in Community and Social Service (Senior Services) equips participants with relevant skillset and expertise to support and manage the administration and operations of an eldercare organisation, opening up more career opportunities in community healthcare industry which is currently in demand.
As the government rolls out more support schemes such as SGUnited Mid-Career Traineeships for mid-career unemployed individuals and SGUnited Skills programme, this is a good time for keen participants to attain new knowledge, gain entry to the sector, or simply to stay ahead of the game. With the various Government initiatives and support in place, these schemes can effectively help job-seekers and mid-career changers prepare for the next phase of their professional journey.
Together, we can help the seniors thrive in these difficult times and overcome this pandemic, emerging more resilient and united.
“I learnt a lot of new knowledge on how to better handle different stakeholders in our future roles. Ageing is definitely not easy and this course allowed us to better understand the difficulties that the elderly face on a day to day basis.
With the various workplace attachments and through understanding the pain that the elderly go through, I want to work in an environment that can make their lives better.”
Elaine Leong,
WSQ Advanced Certificate in Community and Social Services (Senior Services),
L3-32nd, Intake 2019
References
1 Caring for our seniors https://www.gov.sg/article/caring-for-our-seniors
2 MOH Press Release https://www.moe.gov.sg/news/press-releases/joint-mom-moe-psd-press-release-on-support-for-local-jobseekers-through-sgunited-jobs-and-skills-package?utm_source=website&utm_medium=WSG&utm_campaign=Lion
