KUCHING: School-leavers and members of the public are being encouraged to join a caregiver training programme as Malaysia expands efforts to build a professionally trained caregiving workforce.
Minister of Women, Family and Community Development, Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri, said the programme, which is aimed at contributing towards the national target of training 50,000 caregivers by 2030, was being opened beyond ministry personnel.
“Yes, we encourage them. Because to reach 50,000, our ministry alone does not have that many personnel,” she said when met by reporters after the 2026 Outstanding Students Appreciation Ceremony at Sekolah Menengah Teknik Sejingkat here today.
She said the move was intended to build a larger pool of skilled caregivers while changing perceptions of caregiving from informal or unpaid work into a recognised profession.
Nancy said the programme would cover people caring for persons with disabilities (PwDs), children and older persons, with training combining practical and theoretical components.
“We provide physical training as well as theories. We make sure they know how to read blood sugar levels, how to manage them, and things like this,” she said.
She said the ministry is also working with universities and private sector partners to improve its training modules, while qualification levels would be developed progressively.
Nancy added that the initiative would also be linked to the Social Workers Bill, with the aim of having trained caregivers recognised for their professional skills by the public, corporate bodies and potentially overseas.
