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The Vancouver School Board wants to give more high school students the chance to gain work experience caring for seniors.
The VSB voted 6-3 on a motion to expand a program that gives high school students the opportunity to receive training as health care aids while earning credit towards graduation.
The motion was brought forward by Trustee Lisa Dominato at the VSB's meeting on Monday evening and supported by written correspondence from Vancouver Coastal Health Authority and Vancouver Community College (VCC).
The Vancouver Board of Education offers health care assistant education through its partnership with VCC but only has spaces for two students per year. The BC Care Providers Association says that in comparison, auto mechanic training has eight times as many spaces.
B.C.’s labour market outlook shows the seniors care sector as having the highest demand in any field between now and 2025. The BCCPA says there is an urgent demand for frontline workers to support the country's ageing population.
“We commend the Vancouver Board of Education for supporting Trustee Lisa Dominato’s motion,” says BCCPA CEO Daniel Fontaine. “The crisis so many care providers are facing around shortages of front line workers means we have to look at every avenue to introduce people into career opportunities in seniors care.”
The BCCPA says health care aids perform a vital role in the delivery of care for seniors in residential care homes, assisted living communities, and in home support.
"We will be asking school districts right across the province to follow Vancouver's lead by either establishing new, or expanding existing, health care assistant dual credit programs,” says Fontaine.
