Institute set up to train aged-care workers

Caring for the aged, the next industry:

Mihira Wickramarachchi Opticians and Hearing Aids Specialists entered into an agreement with Dynamic Learning Services of Australia to set up a technical training institute for the aged-care sector. The tie-up will also mark the optician's entry into the education sphere where a huge demand could be seen at present.

"We will train 20 teachers initially to carry out the training in Sri Lanka and they will be selected after a process that matches the qualifications for the profession.

The entry-level trainees will be trained for four months. These trainees will have a job guarantee once they completed the training," Dynamic Learning Services, Managing Director, Greg McCullough said. "Government officials are interested in the tie-up and have extended their support towards the venture. We will provide employment to these trained students and there will be openings for them in countries such as China, Singapore, Canada and Germany," he said.

Sri Lanka could minimize the sending of housemaids to the Middle East and send the trained aged-care workers to developed countries at higher wages. This will uplift their standards of living and would also provide more job opportunities to the Sri Lankans, Wickramarachchi Opticians Chairman Mihira Wickramarachchi said.

The tie-up will provide a better opportunity to the country to train people in dealing with old people as it will be the next industry that to get attention. There is a growing aging population the world over and there will be a huge demand for the aged-care workers in time to come, he said.

- SJ