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El Ciudadano

Original article: Valparaíso: Gobierno Regional impulsa proyecto para fortalecer empleabilidad de cuidadoras en la región

In an effort to boost employment for caregivers in the Valparaíso Region, the launch of the project «Enhancing Employment through Comprehensive Elder Care» was announced, funded by the Valparaíso Regional Government and implemented by the University of Viña del Mar (UVM).

This initiative aims to train 210 individuals as caregivers, promoting their labor market integration through technical training, networking within local communities, and generating information on the demand for care services.

Financed through the Regional Productivity and Development Fund of the GORE, the project has a budget of 200 million pesos.

Governor Rodrigo Mundaca highlighted that «we previously collaborated with UVM, where we entrusted them to train a thousand caregivers from across the Valparaíso Region. This new program, focusing on care and employability, continues from the previous one.»

The regional authority elaborated that this program «aims to formalize employment, as training caregivers is one aspect, but formalizing their employability is essential as it recognizes the dignity of work, which is extremely important in a region that is aging and has birth rates below the national average.»

The launch of this initiative at UVM featured a seminar titled «The Challenge of Care in an Aging Society,» where Dr. Juan Carlos Molina, Vice President of Reis Gaudium, presented on its significance in today’s society.

«It is crucial to understand that aging is heterogeneous: there isn’t just old age, but various aging processes, and personalized care must be tailored to each individual based on their geography, customs, rights, and dreams—this is essential to convey to future caregivers,» the expert emphasized.

Another point of focus during the seminar was recognizing caregiving as an emerging productive sector with the potential to contribute to regional economic development, albeit with challenges that need to be addressed.

Therefore, the Regional Government’s initiative simultaneously tackles the caregiving crisis and the gender employment gap, emphasizing labor formalization to facilitate effective access to employment that enables income generation for those in this essential role.

Marisa Silva, a caregiver involved in the program, stated, «It is a pleasure to be here, now as a caregiver. At the caregiver university, we were the first in Quintero. Now I hope to continue working hard to learn even more because I still have my mom, and there are many abandoned elderly individuals (…). We are fighting for the neglected elderly who have no one to care for them.»

Methodological Approach

The initiative also encompasses a methodological framework that has evolved the project into a more comprehensive approach aimed at gradually building a territorial care system, incorporating quality standards, digital tools, and effective employability strategies.

The Valparaíso Regional Government has highlighted their efforts in caregiving through various initiatives.

One such initiative is the establishment of the Regional Support and Care Committee (CRAC) through its Division of Social and Human Development (DIDESOH), a space for intersectoral coordination and strategic leadership, aimed at advancing the formalization of regional caregiving governance with broad participation from stakeholders, already working on the Regional Care Plan for 2026–2027.

The Citizen

La entrada Valparaíso Regional Government Launches Project to Enhance Employment Opportunities for Caregivers se publicó primero en El Ciudadano.