There are over 11, 000 special care home workers, home support workers and family support workers in New Brunswick.
But President of the Special Care Home Workers Association Jan Seely says there is a tremendous need for even more.
“We have adults with disabilities, and mental health conditions, thousands and thousands of them that receive these services every day,” says Seely. “Someone that would need supportive employment skills to get out and get a job that otherwise couldn’t do that on their own.”
She says it’s good the Gallant Government recently made a $12 million investment for wage increases, but that’s not enough.
“Nearly 12,000 people, mostly women, it’s a tremendous economic opportunity for the province to make this career a viable one, to make youth in high schools consider this, but they’re not going to look at it if they can make more money at Tim Horton’s,” says Seely.
She says workers make anywhere between minimum wage and $14.80 an hour.
“If this was a predominantly male workforce, I don’t think we’d be talking about wages, I know that might be a little wrong of me to say that, but it’s predominantly a female workforce, and I’m pleased that the government is now looking at this sector and valuing it,” says Seely.
Low wages are a major deterrent to industry growth and appeal to an up and coming generation of workers.
