To meet industry demand, Lethbridge College is expanding available seats in one of health care’s fastest-growing professions. The Health Care Aide certificate program will increase the number of available seats from 24 to 30 and will also add a new part-time online cohort for 16 students.
“The industry is changing. Health care aides are increasingly being incorporated into the healthcare models within our acute-care, long-term and assisted-living facilities,” says Karla Wolsky, chair, Schools of Health Sciences and Allied Health. “Health care aides have traditionally been employed in long-term care facilities and home care, but now we are seeing them establish themselves in acute care such as emergency rooms, intensive cares and other hospital settings.”
According to facts provided by Alberta Health Services there are over 6,800 health care aides employed in Alberta, making it the second largest health-related field and largest continuing care profession in the province. This group is expected to experience above-average annual growth, resulting in many new positions being created each year, in addition to job openings created by employment turnover and retirement
Two factors led to the decision to add the new seats: the popularity of the Health Care Aide program among prospective students and a strong demand from employers. The online offering will provide the same benefits as the traditional program, while giving rural learners and those unable to attend full-time classroom studies a chance to continue their studies.
“We don’t want to overwhelm our resources or affect the quality of the education we are providing, so as industry need continues to increase we will make incremental additions to meet the needs of both students and the institution,” adds Wolsky.
The traditional Health Care Aide program has intakes for both fall and winter semesters. The program involves 485 hours of instruction over four months including classroom, labs and practice-based experiences.
Program expansion supports a Lethbridge College strategy to increase overall enrolment, while engaging the wider community and supplying industry with competent, well-trained members of the workforce.
“The addition of these seats supports the college’s efforts to grow our way to sustainability as we continue to provide relevant, high-quality education in a changing world,” says Lethbridge College President and CEO Dr. Paula Burns.
Applications may now be submitted for students interested in the online Health Care Aide program this September. The on-campus program is waitlisted for Fall 2018, but applications for the Winter 2019 on-campus course are also being accepted for those interested in applying.
More details can be found at lethbridgecollege.ca/programs/health-care-aide.
LISTEN: Karla Wolsky, chair, Schools of Health Sciences and Allied Health speaks about increasing seats in the Health Care Aide program: