Focused on meeting the needs of the region’s health care system, Selkirk College welcomed a cohort of more than 40 Health Care Assistant Program students to the Trail Campus in late-January.
Health care assistants (HCAs) are direct care providers who promote and maintain the health, safety, independence, comfort and well-being of individuals and their families. HCAs work in a variety of settings that includes both residential and community care.
The Selkirk College HCA Program is 26-weeks that requires 16 weeks of theory and then 10 weeks of practice. Based out the Trail Campus, the current cohort is divided into two sections, online and in-person. It is one of the largest cohorts to ever go through the program.
The blended online and in-person training allows students from all across the region to enrol in this career-ready program that is in demand throughout the health care sector. Students in this year’s class hail from Nakusp, Kaslo, Creston, New Denver, Slocan Valley, Nelson, Salmo, Trail, Castlegar and Grand Forks.
Many of the students are funded through the Health Career Access Program, an initiative by the Provincial Government that provides paid work and training initiative for individuals seeking an entry point to employment in health.
Students in the current cohort will graduate on March 28, 2023 and be ready for employment on the frontlines of health care by early-April.
The next HCA Program cohort at Selkirk College begins in September 2023.