Media Contacts

Ministry of Health

Communications
250 952-1887 (media line)

Sean Leslie

Communications Director
Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Training
250 893-4403

Backgrounders

Health Career Access Program training more caregivers for seniors

Government funds health education programs at public post-secondary institutions based on priorities established by the Ministry of Health, which works with health authorities and health system partners to ensure the number, type and distribution of health-care professionals meets patient and population needs across the province.

The COVID-19 pandemic has increased staffing requirements in long-term care and assisted living services. To meet that need, the Ministry of Health introduced the Health Career Access Program that enables applicants with no health-care experience to get hired and receive on-the-job training, including for jobs as health-care assistants. The Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Training is working with B.C.’s post-secondary institutions to offer additional seats to train health-care assistants.

The following health-care assistant programs are approved or already underway:

  • College of New Caledonia – Vanderhoof and Prince George, 16 seats
  • Douglas College – Coquitlam, 128 seats
  • Kwantlen Polytechnic University – Langley, 64 seats
  • Langara College – Metro Vancouver, 48 seats
  • Nicola Valley Institute of Technology – Merritt, 18 seats
  • North Island College, Campbell River – Comox, 16 seats
  • Selkirk College – Castlegar, Trail, Nelson, Grand Forks, Slocan Valley, 61 seats
  • Thompson Rivers University – Kamloops, Williams Lake, 102 seats
  • Vancouver Community College – Metro Vancouver, 24 seats
  • Vancouver Island University – Powell River, Nanaimo, Cowichan, 72 seats

Programs are under development at these institutions:

  • Camosun College
  • Capilano University
  • Coast Mountain College
  • College of the Rockies
  • Northern Lights College
  • Okanagan College
  • University of the Fraser Valley