1,000 Caregivers Sought In Riverside County: Job Fair Scheduled

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — A virtual job fair focused on filling hundreds of caregiver positions throughout Riverside County will be held next week, and county officials emphasized that no prior experience is needed to apply.

The Department of Public Social Services has, since last year, been seeking to swell the ranks of In-Home Supportive Services personnel as demand for IHSS resources accelerates.

The latest recruitment drive will be online Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Up to 1,000 positions need to be filled, according to DPSS.

The agency said that the greatest need at the moment is in the Coachella Valley, as well as in the communities of Anza, Blythe, Hemet and Idyllwild.

There are currently about 34,000 IHSS caregivers available to assist 40,000 seniors countywide. Some of the caregivers are related to the residents who receive services under the IHSS system, which is state-mandated.

The system is focused on assisting the aged, but disabled adults also qualify. Caregivers render assistance with personal grooming, light housekeeping, food service and transportation.

"The program is needed more than ever as one in every five of the county's 2.5 million residents is age 60 or older — a population projected to grow by 250 percent in coming decades," according to a DPSS statement.

The base wage for an IHSS caregiver is $15.50 an hour, and workers are entitled to benefits, including flexible work arrangements and sick leave.

Applicants do not need prior experience in caregiving, but they must pass a background check in order to be hired.

The online job fair Wednesday will be available via https://app.premiervirtual.com/events/b9d7d021-cdee-4bb2-83cb-4ef2991424a8/ihss-public-authority-job-fair-april.

More information is also available at https://riversideihss.org/.