The BC Care Providers Association is hoping school districts can help to tackle a serious lack of care aides in the province as a hiring frenzy begins.
The BC Care Providers Association is hoping school districts can help to tackle a serious lack of care aides in the province as a hiring frenzy begins.
CEO Daniel Fontaine says there are more positions needing filling than there are available care aides to hire so training new ones is critical.
To that end he has written school districts across the province urging them to increase spaces in dual credit programs.
“The dual credit allows a student in high school to be trained. They become a certified health care assistant when they graduate from grade 12. They don’t have to necessarily have to go to a traditional post-secondary and they can go right to work. Our care aide of the year last year told us she went through that process from Kamloops and was telling us how successful it was but we just don’t have enough spots available.”
Fontaine says the interior, Kamloops and Kelowna, are both key areas.
Some 900 care aides are needed, not including covering off the number of retirees as the province looks to increase direct care hours for seniors.