New health care aide program set to start in 2013

Times Contributor

 

Bow Valley College and AgeCare Sagewood have teamed up to create a new local health care aide program that will be starting in January.

The program will run for four months, from January 14 until May 3 with a minimum of nine students and a maximum of 12 for an optimal teaching environment. The classes will be held in the Sagewood building, which has two classrooms. The tuition cost is approximately $2,500 and once students are done the program, they are eligible for several different types of jobs, including working in retirement homes, home nursing or hospital work.

Students will be trained locally, which means that the growing needs for more health care workers in Strathmore can be met.

“Health always surfaced as a priority need for what communities wanted,” says Teri McKinnon, Bow Valley College Regional Lead. By “responding to the demand” McKinnon feels that this will be a successful program for students interested in the health care field who want to start a career quickly.

“It’s not only for Sagewood, it’s meeting the needs that the community demands,” says Amir Rajani, the general manager of the Strathmore Sagewood location.

“People want to stay in the community they grew up in, this affords them the ability to do that,” said McKinnon. 

This is not only an economic driver for the community, but it also complies with the Alberta Health recognition of health needs being just as high in rural communities as in urban.

The Sagewood facility has the requirements for the program, including size and curriculum needs, which was imperative for the program to run.

“[Sagewood] met the requirements to be an instructional venue for that program,” McKinnon says, explaining that students need adequate space, technology and the ability to practice in an appropriate environment with real people. 

“I believe, even AgeCare believes in, having continuing education,” says Rajani. “Supporting the community and all the facilities in the town is really good for them.”

McKinnon says the situation is a “win-win” because students get training that is reasonable in price, is local and fast while businesses get well-educated staff.

“At the end of the day, we’re putting trained staff into our businesses,” McKinnon says.

“We’re excited to start the program, we’re excited to showcase the facility and we’re excited to meet the needs of the health work force in Strathmore.”