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| The lobby of the Seoul 50 Plus Foundation's Mapo campus in Seoul, Feb. 13, 2019 / Korea Times file |
By Bahk Eun-ji
The Seoul 50 Plus Foundation is providing middle-aged and elderly people with a chance to work as pet sitters, as a part of its project to offer job opportunities for senior citizens.
The foundation, under the Seoul Metropolitan Government, is aiming to offer education or job opportunities for people who are "planning a new life after the age of 50."
This project is jointly carried out with Pet People, which operates a platform called Pet Planet that links pet care workers with pet owners.
"The project is aimed at discovering a new business model where middle-aged people can find gainful employment through their experience raising pets," the foundation said in a press release.
Applicants must be aged between 40 and 67 living in Seoul with the experience of raising a pet. Preference is given to those who have raised pets for more than five years, have experience as a pet sitter or possess a pet-related license.
Those selected through document screening and interviews will start work after completing 16 hours of training. They will be registered as pet sitters on Pet Planet and take care of the pets matched through the app at their home.
Pet sitters will receive 30,000 won to 40,000 won for 12 hours of care and 40,000 won to 50,000 won for 24 hours.
"Many single-person households leave their pets alone at home during the day due to work, going out and traveling. Middle-aged and elderly citizens who have experience raising pets will be of great help to these people," said Kim Young-dae, CEO of the foundation.
The Seoul 50 Plus Foundation will accept applications until March 2 on through 50plus.or.kr.
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| Members of the Seoul 50 Plus Foundation of Mapo campus, Seoul, participate in a drama class, Feb. 13, 2019. Korea Times file |
Founded in 2016, the foundation provides customized education programs to senior citizens at its four campuses in Eunpyeong, Guro, Mapo and Dobong districts. The education programs include counseling, job training and community activities, to help people over 50 build a new life after retirement.
The foundation is currently receiving applications for 156 courses in its March-April semester, and they will be operated mainly online and non-face-to-face in accordance with social distancing rules against the COVID-19 pandemic.
