The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of caregiving to families, communities and society, and the many ways in which providing care to people with chronic health conditions, physical or mental disabilities, or aging-related needs impacts caregivers’ lives.
As a family economist, Janet Fast has explored these complexities for more than two decades as Co-Director of RAPP (Research on Aging, Policies and Practice), a research centre based at the University of Alberta that engages in cross-sectoral partnerships to support the well-being of older adults and family/friend caregivers.
RAPP recently partnered with MyMatchWork.com, a ground-breaking cloud platform that provides tailored support that non-profits can use to connect job seekers to meaningful work.
In overlooking caregiving employees, many employers are missing out, says Fast, since their experiences can provide them with unique strengths. “What a lot of employers don’t realize is that caregivers develop a lot of very applicable skills through their caregiving. They learn to be empathic and patient, to be resourceful, to manage their time well, to advocate, and to be amazing problem solvers and jugglers – all highly marketable and transferable skills — but they are not necessarily given a chance.
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