Job Fair to Fill Caregiver Positions Set for Next Week

RIVERSIDE (CNS) – A virtual job fair focused on filling hundreds of
caregiver positions throughout Riverside County will be held next week, and
county officials emphasized that no prior experience is needed to apply.

The Department of Public Social Services has, since last year, been
seeking to swell the ranks of In-Home Supportive Services personnel as demand
for IHSS resources accelerates.

The latest recruitment drive will be online Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 5
p.m.

Up to 1,000 positions need to be filled, according to DPSS.

The agency said that the greatest need at the moment is in the
Coachella Valley, as well as in the communities of Anza, Blythe, Hemet and
Idyllwild.

There are currently about 34,000 IHSS caregivers available to assist
40,000 seniors countywide. Some of the caregivers are related to the residents
who receive services under the IHSS system, which is state-mandated.

The system is focused on assisting the aged, but disabled adults also
qualify. Caregivers render assistance with personal grooming, light
housekeeping, food service and transportation.

"The program is needed more than ever as one in every five of the
county’s 2.5 million residents is age 60 or older — a population projected to
grow by 250% in coming decades," according to a DPSS statement.

The base wage for an IHSS caregiver is $15.50 an hour, and workers are
entitled to benefits, including flexible work arrangements and sick leave.

Applicants do not need prior experience in caregiving, but they must
pass a background check in order to be hired.

The online job fair Wednesday will be available via
https://app.premiervirtual.com/events/b9d7d021-cdee-4bb2-83cb-4ef2991424a8/ihss-
public-authority-job-fair-april.

More information is also available at https://riversideihss.org/.

Copyright 2022, City News Service, Inc.

CNS-03-31-2022 15:00