National guideline for elderly care established

China has released its first national guideline on evaluating the professional competence of elderly care workers, aiming to boost career confidence in the sector and address the intensifying challenge posed by the country's large elderly population.

The guideline, jointly issued in March by the Ministry of Civil Affairs and the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, sets a target of ensuring that more than 80 percent of elderly care workers obtain basic professional competence certificates by 2030.

While there is no official count of the total number of elderly care workers in China, a recent report estimates the sector is short by about 5.5 million workers. The report was released in December by Shanghai-based Fortune Care, in collaboration with institutions including the Renmin University of China and Shanghai Jiao Tong University.