Miraculous Re-employment of Chinese Amidst Epidemic 50 Offers in Two Weeks After Free Training
By Reporter Liu Xianjin / Oakland Instant Report / World Journal 2023-12-01 20:12 ET
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Hong Kong immigrant Bobby Tang was unemployed during the pandemic. He enrolled in DHTI's free training program, and with the institute's help, he was referred to a nurse aide course. After graduating, he received 50 job offers within two weeks. (Photo by Reporter Liu Xianjin)
Under the severe impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Bobby Tang, a Hong Kong immigrant working as a regional manager for an international company, suddenly lost his job. Considering that he had to take care of his 86-year-old father, he was encouraged by a friend to enroll in the free training program at the non-profit Diversity in Health Training Institute (DHTI) in Oakland's Chinatown. With the institute's assistance, he was referred to a certified nurse assistant training program. After graduating, he received 50 job offers within just two weeks. He said, "In the past, I was looking for a job, but now the job is looking for me, and I have options."
DHTI's Executive Director Suphain Htaung and People and Operation Director Nghia Tran said that Alice Lai-Bitker, a former Chinese-American legislator from Alameda County, founded DHTI in 2011 with the mission of expanding and diversifying the healthcare workforce, especially for immigrants whose native language is not English and who may have a healthcare background.
The organization provides immigrants with free career guidance, knowledge-based training, school partner referrals, navigation support, work readiness workshops, and internship and job placement opportunities to help them pursue healthcare careers. Through various programs and projects, DHTI has served over 1,500 immigrants, refugees, and asylees from 68 countries in more than 42 languages, including Chinese (Cantonese and Mandarin), Vietnamese, and others.
Currently, the institute offers entry-level courses that almost all Chinese immigrants are eligible for. DHTI stated that many immigrants work part-time, so if a mother wants to come to class while also taking care of her children, the organization can provide a babysitting allowance and even support for transportation and computer equipment.
Many Asian seniors prefer to age in their own homes, where they can eat familiar foods and stay in familiar surroundings. The task of caring for the elderly often falls on family members, but not all family members have received proper training in handling medication, safety, bathing, and proper body mechanics. Due to work demands, many do not have sufficient ability to take on these caregiving responsibilities long-term.
To address these challenges, Chinese-American donor Tonia Chao Hsieh funded DHTI to create a pipeline of Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese) and English-speaking caregivers, known as the Angel Caregivers program, to provide home care, end-of-life care, assisted living, and personal care services. Interested Chinese friends can click here to enroll. (https://www.dhti.org/angel-caregivers/#courses).
In the winter of 2022, DHTI received 100 applications for the Angel Caregivers program, and the top ten applicants were selected to complete training and be referred to employers. By early 2023, the California Department of Aging Services provided funding, and currently, 123 people are participating in the Angel program, including Bobby Tang.
Bobby Tang said that he previously worked as a regional manager for an international company, managing over 300 people in China, California, and other regions. After the 2020 pandemic, the government required shelter in place, and the company temporarily shut down, leaving him without a job. A friend encouraged him to enroll in DHTI's free courses, considering he had to take care of his 86-year-old father. He decided to give it a try, not expecting that it would change the course of his life.
He successfully studied the DHTI Angel Caregivers Project’s state-recognized entry-level 5-hour online Angel Caregivers Course. Then with the institute's help, he was referred to the next level 160-hour state-approved and accredited CNA(Certified Nursing Assistant) training. He learned that caring for the elderly is not a superficial task. He said, "In the past when caring for my father, I thought it was enough to let the elderly eat and use the bathroom. In fact, there are many in-depth skills involved. How to chat with the elderly, how to encourage them to exercise, how to observe their skin and understand their physical condition while assisting with bathing – all of these require a lot of knowledge." He said that during his studies, which were quite demanding, DHTI helped students form Chinese support groups to share experiences, find jobs, write resumes, as well as connect students with mentors in the field.
Unexpectedly, before even graduating, Bobby Tang caught the attention of a medical institution. As soon as he graduated from CNA training and gained his CNA license, he received a flood of 50 job offers within two weeks. One company even promised him a bonus of $10,000 if he worked for three months. Bobby Tang said, "During unemployment, I had written job application letters, but received few responses. Now, I have many choices." He ultimately decided to work as a CNA at the Chinese Hospital in San Francisco's Chinatown, hoping to help more Chinese immigrants with his bilingual skills.
DHTI Executive Director Suphain Htaung (second right), Operations Director Nghia Tran (second left) and immigrant Bobby Tang (first left), who received training at the organization, pose for a group photo. (Reporter Liu Xianjin / photo).