Twenty-year-old Chen I-lun, a resident of Tunghsiao Township in Miaoli County, belongs to a family of six. Apart from her father, all the other members of her immediate family have moderate-to-severe learning disabilities. Chen, who has moderate learning disabilities, has, with the assistance of the Miaoli County Employment Center, not only found a stable job at the Haiching Elderly Care Center, but has also obtained a basic-level carer qualification. Chen hopes to take an exam to become a qualified professional carer and help her family take care of her father.
Chen’s family originally relied on her father’s job for income, as well as assistance from his older brother. After Chen graduated from junior high school, she helped her uncle raise pigs. Every month she would earn NT$5,000, which she contributed toward the family’s finances, in addition to her younger sister’s part-time job at a golf club.
However, three years ago, her father suffered a stroke, which further increased the family’s outgoings. Her uncle, hoping that Chen would be able to support herself, enlisted the help of the Miaoli County Employment Center. An employee at the center arranged for Chen to become a cleaner at the Tunghsiao Township branch of the Haiching Elderly Care Center.
Photo: Peng Chien-li, Liberty Times
照片:自由時報記者彭健禮
Chen’s ability and willingness to learn were recognized by the center’s director, who believed that Chen, in addition to her cleaning job, would also be a competent carer. The director then arranged for Chen to undertake a pre-employment carer’s training course.
A spokesman from the Ministry of Labor’s Workforce Development Agency says that Chen has passed an initial appraisal and is qualified to become a carer. However, to become a professional carer, Chen must obtain a level-three certificate. Haiching Elderly Care Center is willing to continue to assist Chen in her efforts to obtain the qualification. The center hopes that Chen, under their guidance, will be able to gain the qualification within two years and become financially independent, which will allow Chen to share the responsibility for looking after her family.
(Liberty Times, translated by Edward Jones)
廿歲苗栗縣通霄鎮民陳怡綸一家六口,除父親外,都為中、重度智能障礙者,中度智能障礙的她,透過苗栗就業中心協助,不僅在海青老人養護中心找到穩定工作,並取得基本看護資格,期許考取照顧服務員證照,分擔家人照顧父親的壓力。
陳家經濟來源原依靠父親工作及伯父接濟,怡綸高中畢業後,幫忙伯父養豬,每個月賺取五千元貼補家用,她的妹妹也在高爾夫球場打工,分擔家計。
但三年前父親中風,開銷增加,伯父希望她可以自謀生活,找上苗栗就業中心求助。中心就服員劉芳珍,安排怡綸進入苗栗縣海青老人養護中心通霄分院擔任清潔工。
怡綸的學習態度與工作能力,獲中心主任賞識,認為除了清潔工作,她也應該能勝任照服員的工作,遂安排怡綸接受「照顧服務員職前訓練」。
勞動部勞動力發展署表示,怡綸通過檢定,具備基本看護資格,但要成為照服員,仍需具備丙級證照,養護中心也願意持續給予考照協助,期許輔導怡綸於兩年內取得證照,自力更生進而分擔家計。
(自由時報記者彭健禮)
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