Korea opens free caregiver training pilot to anyone from November

South Korea's health ministry said Tuesday it will begin enrolling trainees for a pilot standard training course for caregivers, working with the Korean Nurses Association and the Korea Care Hospital Association to build up a workforce with recognized skills as demand for care rises with an aging population.

Signups run through Nov. 30, and anyone who intends to work as a caregiver may apply at no cost, the ministry said. The courses are being run by the two associations, with the nurses association teaching from Nov. 30 to Dec. 11 and the care hospital association from Nov. 16 to Dec. 11. Enrollment and course dates may shift depending on demand.

The curriculum totals 16 hours, split evenly between eight hours of theory and eight of practical training, and covers five subjects: the role and duties of a caregiver, physical care and environment management, safety management, infection control, and care for older patients and the terminally ill.

Those who complete the full course will receive a certificate of completion issued in the name of the association that taught it. The ministry said the pilot was developed around the core skills caregivers actually need in the field, and that it is meant to fill a gap: Korea has no management or qualification system for caregivers, and the cost of hiring private caregivers privately has been growing.

"The pilot operation of the standard training course for caregivers will not only raise the quality of caregiving services but also serve as a starting point for achieving the goal of easing the caregiving burden on the public," Lim Eul-gi, the ministry's director-general for medical resources policy, said in a statement.

The ministry said it will assess the pilot's effectiveness and use the findings to revise the curriculum, and that it will select training institutions next year to continue running the standard course. "We will not stop at the pilot operation but will continue to supplement the curriculum so that we can train enough high-quality caregivers," Lim said.