New MHC program combines learning with work experience

By Samantha Johnson

Commentator/Courier

Medicine Hat College is offering a new, short-term learning opportunity this spring. The program will combine flexible learning with work experience. By offering the training, MHC hopes to help address shortages in the health-care field.

The training, Supportive Care Assistant , is fully subsidized and students will also receive funding for furthering their educations. SCA is a micro-certificate course, developed by Colleges Institutes Canada, aimed to build capacity in long-term care.

Students will learn skills that are currently in high demand and gain experience in the field. The first part of the course is online training, followed by a work placement in either a long-term care facility, home care or a community care setting.

Those graduating with a SCA micro-certificate will receive a $5,000 stipend if they enrol in the complete 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,” explained Jason Openo, dean of MHC’s School of Health and Community Services in a press release.

Students must have access to reliable transportation and be willing to work variable shifts as work placements will be across southern Alberta. There may also be funding available for childcare. For those interested in the course outside southern Alberta, other institutions will be offering the same opportunity.

Space is limited and with registration for the training now open, it’s best to get a spot sooner rather than later. For more information, visit http://www.mhc.ab.ca.

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