The government is pushing forward with a plan to train 100,000 young people as professional care personnel.

The plan envisions encouraging them to settle in regional areas by considering a starting annual salary of around 40 million won, along with support for housing and transportation.

According to the 1st National Population Strategy Basic Plan announced by the government today (14th), training 100,000 young care professionals has been included as a key challenge.

This is because as the country enters a super-aged society, the demand for elderly care is rapidly increasing, while the workforce itself, including care workers on the ground, is also aging quickly.

The government plans to nurture young people not simply as care workers for the elderly, but as specialized care professionals who utilize cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence and robotics.

First, they will take on the role of managing AI smart home systems that monitor the daily lives of elderly people living alone 24 hours a day.

This involves helping ensure that necessary responses are taken when AI analyzes the living patterns of the elderly and detects abnormal signs.

In care facilities, they will manage advanced systems used for fall detection, pressure ulcer prevention, and care record management, while also training existing care workers on how to use these new technologies.

They will also undertake tasks visiting elderly people living independently within local communities.

This approach involves assisting them with digital devices such as smartphones and checking for inconveniences in their daily lives.

Through this, the government aims to reduce the workload of existing care workers while providing young people with new jobs where they can build expertise and experience.

What particularly draws attention are the wages and employment conditions.

To encourage young people to reside in regional areas, the government is considering a starting annual salary level of 40 million won.

Paying an annual salary of 40 million won to 100,000 people requires 4 trillion won annually by simple calculation.

In addition, support for housing and transportation, semi-civil servant levels of employment stability, and wage increases and promotion systems based on experience are also under review.

The objective is to simultaneously address youth unemployment, the outflow of regional population, and the shortage of care personnel.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare aims to deploy them to the field in earnest after 2028, following pilot projects.

The Population Strategy Committee stated that it plans to formulate specific hiring scales and wage criteria through consultations with relevant ministries and social discussions.

Reported by Kim Minjeong | Video by Kim Na-on | Graphics by Yook Do-hyun | Produced by SBS Digital News