College of the Rockies will be offering the Health Care Assistant program at the Creston campus thanks to $118,000 in funding from the Ministry of Advanced Education.
The Health Care Assistant program is a 27-week program that provides students with the knowledge and skills they need to provide personal care to individuals in residential care as well as in community settings like home support and assisted living. The program involves both in-class theory as well as a practicum placement in the field.
The College is offering the additional intake in an effort to fill a high demand for Health Care Assistants in the region. Program inquiries for Health Care Assistant training come in to the Creston campus frequently from both prospective students and employers. Students who complete the program in the region are typically hired immediately upon completion. Employment opportunities exist in both the public and private sectors of health services.
“This opportunity to offer the Health Care Assistant program to the residents of the Creston Valley could not have come at a better time,” says Creston campus manager (Acting) Suzanne Pederson. “We have a number of students on an interest list with many currently enrolled in adult upgrading courses to prepare for the program.”
The Health Care Assistant program is offered yearly at the Cranbrook main campus and at most regional campuses on a rotational basis. Classes for the next Creston offering will begin in September 2016.
“In communities throughout our province, such as Creston, there is a growing need for health care assistants,” said Kootenay East MLA Bill Bennett on behalf of Advanced Education Minister Andrew Wilkinson. “Health care assistants play an important role in supporting the health needs of an aging population that is growing.”
Sixteen seats will be available for the upcoming Health Care Assistant offering in Creston. Prospective students are encouraged to apply online at cotr.ca or at the Creston campus.
Learn more about College of the Rockies’ Health Care Assistant program.