Fourteen more students in Kamloops will be able to get the education and skills to pursue a fulfilling and in-demand career as care aides, with the expansion of the program at the Nicola Valley Institute of Technology (NVIT).

“We all want to make sure people are getting the quality care they need and deserve,” said Melanie Mark, Minister of Advanced Education, Skills and Training. “Training more health-care assistants in Kamloops means more people will have access to high-quality care, and students will get the opportunity to build a life for themselves, while positively impacting so many others in the community.”

The Nicola Valley Institute of Technology will receive $146,000 from the Ministry of Advanced Education, Skills and Training to add seats to its health-care assistant program, beginning September 2018. This funding helps students get the skills they need to embark on their career path, and also improves access to health-care services by increasing the number of skilled workers in the province who can deliver health care to everyone who needs it.

“At NVIT, we are very persistent in our mission to improve the quality of life of Indigenous community members,” said Dr. John Chenoweth, dean of NVIT community education. “The support from the Province towards the health-care assistant program delivery will help move another cohort of students towards that mission. Community-based delivery models are very successful with this program and the response from the health sector is tremendous. We aspire to continue to advocate and deliver on our mission. “

This one-time funding is part of a larger provincial investment to boost the number of health-care assistants throughout the province. The total funding of nearly $1 million will help approximately 100 students get the skills and education they need to build rewarding careers in the health-care field.

In the Okanagan, there will be an expected 2,360 job openings by 2027 for health-care assistants and related professions. Due to the increase in British Columbia’s aging population, the health-care and social assistance sectors will have some of the most career opportunities, with 142,500 job openings within the next decade.

Through Budget 2018, a total of $548 million over three years is provided to improve care for seniors, including investments in primary care, home and community care, residential care and assisted living. The Ministry of Health is working with health authorities to increase staffing levels in residential care homes. Health authorities are working to convert more health-care assistants, who are working part-time and casual, to full-time. 

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For more information on the Labour Market Outlook, please visit: https://www.workbc.ca/getmedia/66fd0e7c-734e-4fcb-b1a6-0454862525a6/BC_Labour_Market_Outlook_2017_Edition_Nov_2017.PDF.aspx