Ontario offering no cost training for up to 300 PSWs to work in Ottawa long-term care homes

OTTAWA — The Ontario government is spending $2.4 million to train up to 300 personal support workers for long-term care homes in Ottawa.

Ontario's Ministry of Long-Term Care announced a pilot scholarship program in partnership with Willis College to offer no cost training to accepted applicants.

"Our ambitious staffing plan is part of our government's commitment to solving the long-standing and systemic challenges the long-term care sector has faced after decades of neglect and underfunding," said Dr. Merrilee Fullerton, Minister of Long-Term Care.

The Ontario government announced a plan to increase the hours of direct care for residents to an average of four hours per day over four years. The staffing plan includes hiring more staff and improving working conditions for existing staff.

The province says the pilot program to train personal support workers will offer four days of academic instruction with one day of volunteer experience at a long-term care home per week.

"By experiencing real-world situations prior to clinical placements, students will not only gain a stronger understanding of the long-term care sector, but will also be better prepared to transition smoothly into the workforce upon graduation," said the province in a media release.

The 30-week long program will meet the current Ontario standard for Personal Support Worker certificate education programs. The training for the 300 students will begin in January.

For more information, visit the Willis College website.