Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU), Islamabad, in collaboration with the Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia (CEMCA), has initiated Pakistan’s first Elderly Caregivers Certificate Course to train skilled professionals for the rapidly growing national and international caregiving sector.

With the increasing elderly population worldwide, professional caregiving has become a major social and economic need.

Pakistan currently faces a shortage of trained caregivers, while countries such as Japan, European nations, Canada, the USA, the UK, Australia, and the Middle East have a high demand for certified professionals in this field.

The six-month certificate course will focus on professional caregiving skills, including elderly health care, medication support, communication skills, social care, professional ethics, and psychosocial support.

The course will initially be offered in Urdu and English, with the possibility of translation into other languages according to market demand.

A unique feature of the initiative is AIOU’s recently established international language centers, including Japanese, Turkish, Russian, and Chinese language centers, with a French language center planned in the near future.

Language and cultural orientation components related to different countries will also be integrated into the program to improve overseas employment opportunities for graduates.

The inaugural ceremony was held at AIOU Islamabad and attended by prominent academics, medical professionals, and development partners.

Dean Faculty of Sciences, Prof. Dr. Sher Muhammad, appreciated the Department of Nutritional Sciences and Environmental Design for taking the lead in developing the course.

He also acknowledged the role of the Directorate of International Collaboration & Exchange in coordinating the initiative.

Dr. Basheerahmed Shadrach, Director CEMCA, highlighted the regional and international demand for professional caregivers and referred to successful models already developed in Sri Lanka that could serve as references for the program.

He assured full technical and academic support from CEMCA.
Dr. Zahid Majeed, Director International Collaboration at AIOU, shared the vision behind the initiative and stated that the course would create strong employment opportunities for Pakistani youth in both local and international markets.

He noted that the Middle East, Japan, and European countries are actively seeking trained caregivers and offering attractive salary packages.

Dr Zahid conveyed the message of Prof. Dr. Nasir Mahmood, Vice Chancellor, AIOU that all the help and support will be provided for this important initiative.

Dr. Tariq Cheema, CEO of ALIGHT, emphasized the importance of aligning the curriculum with international market requirements and shared existing training materials developed by ALIGHT that could support the course design.
Medical and academic experts, including Dr. Khaleeq-uz-Zaman (Neurosurgeon), Dr. Samina Khaleeq, Dr. Saima Nasir, Prof. Dr. Hajra Ahmad, Dr. Zaheer Ahmad, and Dr. Asma Afreen, also shared their experiences and recommendations for the curriculum.

The course is expected to be developed within six months and will be offered both as an independent certificate program and as part of selected BS degree programs.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)