Last week, it was announced that staff who have been temporarily laid off from Scandinavian airline SAS will be offered fast-track training as healthcare workers. SAS has laid off more than 10,000 staff due to the coronavirus pandemic. Now, the Marianne and Marcus Wallenberg Foundation will fund fast-track healthcare training for those staff, so that they can support the Swedish healthcare system.
The course will be free for attendees, who will be trained in providing information to patients and their families, sterilising equipment, and basic administrative duties.
Why it’s Hot: In the current situation, we are seeing vast sectors of the economy lose their jobs or their income- while other areas are seeing a severe shortage of workers (healthcare, grocery, etc). In the healthcare industry, workers are now understaffed and overworked. So much so, many healthcare workers who have retired are being requested to join the fight against this pandemic. This is a great example of retraining a workforce to serve the current need while making sure they are not affected economically because of the loss of their jobs.