my country’s first comprehensive policy for talent development in elderly care services launched
A key supervision proposal to promote the high-quality development of elderly care services
Elderly care is related to people's livelihood, and strengthening the construction of the elderly care talent team is the key to promoting the high-quality development of elderly care services. Recently, the Representative Working Committee of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress announced 10 high-quality typical cases of deliberation of representatives' proposals and handling of representatives' suggestions. "Strengthening the construction of a team of high-quality elderly care workers and promoting the high-quality development of elderly care services" was among them.
At the first session of the 14th National People's Congress, a number of National People's Congress deputies put forward suggestions on improving policies and measures for elderly care services and increasing the salary and benefits of elderly care service personnel. These suggestions were identified as key supervision suggestions by the General Office of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress and were supervised by the Ministry of Civil Affairs. It will take the lead in handling and be supervised by the Social Construction Committee of the National People's Congress.
To this end, the Ministry of Civil Affairs carried out on-site research in 10 provinces, 25 prefectures (cities), 42 villages (communities) and 62 elderly care service institutions, and identified the crux and corresponding countermeasures that restrict the construction of a team of elderly care workers through recommendations. In late January 2024, the Ministry of Civil Affairs, together with 11 departments, issued the "Opinions on Strengthening the Construction of Elderly Care Service Talent Team" (hereinafter referred to as the "Opinions"). This is my country's first comprehensive policy document on the construction of elderly care service talent.
When Xu Xiao, deputy to the National People's Congress and chairman of Kaifeng Chenglancheng Construction and Development Co., Ltd., listened to the replies to the "Suggestions on Strengthening the Training of Talents in Elderly Care Services", he said, "I am very satisfied with the content of the reply and give you a big thumbs up for your work." ".
Several NPC deputies suggested improving policies
As the aging of the population continues to accelerate, problems such as a lack of talents, low professional quality, and unstable teams in my country's elderly care service industry have become increasingly apparent. The problem of elderly care is becoming increasingly severe, and the pressure on young people to support the elderly is increasing. It is urgent to improve various elderly care policies and build a diversified and sustainable elderly care system.
At the first session of the 14th National People's Congress, Representative Li Longti put forward "Suggestions on Further Building a Diversified and Sustainable Elderly Care System", Representative Wu Huifang put forward "Suggestions on Improving the Mutual Assistance Voluntary Service Policy for the Elderly", and Representative Zhao Mingzhi put forward "Recommendations on Improving the Elderly Care System". Suggestions on the level of nursing teams" etc.
Xu Xiao suggested further broadening vocational skills training channels, accelerating the development of vocational education in elderly care services, supporting colleges and universities to build health and care industry colleges, guiding colleges and universities to build industry colleges with elderly care service institutions, and supporting the establishment of research institutions and universities. Think tank for aging data research, etc.
In view of the low level of professional skills of elderly care workers, Zhao Mingzhi, a representative of the National People's Congress and a recruiter at the Shengli Bridge Postal Service Department of Zhongshan District, Dalian City, Liaoning Province, suggested that the professional skill level certification of elderly care workers be unified. , accelerate the development of corresponding national vocational skills standards and evaluation norms, ensure industry service levels, and strengthen vocational skills training and professional ethics education for elderly care service practitioners.
Guide and promote the construction of a team of elderly care workers
The Ministry of Civil Affairs implements the deployment requirements for the handling of suggestions from National People's Congress deputies, communicates with multiple National People's Congress deputies one by one on the handling situation, responds to the suggestions one by one, and promotes high-quality handling content. On September 26, 2023, the Ministry of Civil Affairs held a symposium on key supervision suggestions for accelerating the construction of a team of elderly care workers at the First Session of the 14th National People's Congress. National People's Congress representatives such as Xu Xiao, Zhao Mingzhi, and Li Longti put forward suggested measures based on their own work and personal experience. Before the symposium, the Ministry of Civil Affairs organized deputies to the National People's Congress to go to Beijing Home Care Service Comprehensive Demonstration Center and other elderly care service institutions for on-site inspections to investigate the construction of the elderly care worker team.
At the same time, the Ministry of Civil Affairs transformed the work of handling representatives' suggestions into specific actions to guide and promote the construction of a team of elderly care workers.
The relevant person in charge of the Department of Elderly Care Services of the Ministry of Civil Affairs led a team to the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security twice to discuss improving the professional skills grade system and level evaluation mechanism for elderly care workers, and adding special technician and chief technician technical positions (positions) to the existing skill levels. ), create additional apprenticeships, form a new eight-level vocational skill level (position) sequence, and broaden the career development channels for elderly care workers. These measures have been written into the "Opinions".
In response to the suggestions of Huo Xiaoli, Zhao Mingzhi and other National People's Congress representatives on improving the vocational skills evaluation system, the Ministry of Civil Affairs guided and promoted the Jiangsu Provincial Department of Civil Affairs and the Department of Human Resources and Social Security to issue the "Jiangsu Province Nursing Care Professional Technical Qualification Conditions (Trial)" in August 2023 , Jiangsu took the lead in establishing a professional and technical title system for elderly care in the country, achieving a breakthrough in elderly care from vocational skills to setting up professional and technical qualifications.
Promote the establishment of a talent system for elderly care services
In order to strengthen the institutional guarantee for the development of elderly care service talents, the Ministry of Civil Affairs took the lead in drafting the "Elderly Care Service Law of the People's Republic of China" (text proposal) and promoted its inclusion in the second category of the legislative plan of the 14th National People's Congress. It is proposed to establish a special chapter for elderly care service personnel to clarify The professionalism, academic education, and on-the-job training of elderly care service talents with an emphasis on elderly care workers provide institutional guarantees for the construction of a team of elderly care workers.
At the same time, the formulation of policy documents, investment of funds and resources, and implementation of project activities related to the construction of the nursing staff team have been included in the comprehensive evaluation of key tasks of the Ministry of Civil Affairs in 2023. Up to now, a total of 16 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) across the country have issued policy documents on talent for elderly care services.
It is understood that in response to the suggestions that representatives are generally concerned about to improve the sense of professional honor and identity of nursing staff, the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, and the All-China Federation of Trade Unions organized the National First-Class Vocational Skills Competition-2023 National The Vocational Skills Competition in the Civil Affairs Industry has included elderly care workers in the competition.
China Youth Daily·China Youth Daily reporter Xian Oujie Source: China Youth Daily