New training offers funding for future health care aide grads

A new, short-term learning opportunity offered through Medicine Hat College (MHC) this spring combines flexible learning and work experience to help address shortages in the health care field and provides students with funding for future education.

Supportive Care Assistant (SCA) training is a fully subsidized micro-certificate developed by Colleges Institutes Canada (CICan) to build capacity in longterm care. It allows students to learn in-demand skills, gain experience, and make a difference in their communities with six weeks of free online training followed by a paid work placement in a long-term care, home care, or community care setting.

Graduates of the SCA micro-certificate can receive a $5,000 stipend if they take the next step and complete the health care aide program at MHC by May 2024.

“I’m excited Medicine Hat College has become one the Canadian institutions partnering with CICan to address a skills shortage in our region that has increased because of COVID-19. The Supportive Care Assistant program offers valuable financial incentives to the learners who continue their education and start their careers as Health Care Aides. It also supports the employers who hire them for work-integrated learning,” explains Jason Openo, dean of MHC’s School of Health & Community Services.

Because this program includes regional work placements in southern Alberta, students are expected to have access to transportation and be willing to work variable shifts. Funding for childcare may also be available. Students located outside the region may be directed to other institutions offering the same training opportunity.