VICTORIA – Students and B.C.’s health sector will benefit from almost $1.8 million in one-time funding for additional student spaces in short-term training programs, Advanced Education Minister Amrik Virk announced on Tuesday.
”We’re encouraging education that meets labour demands – training that gets British Columbians ready to contribute here in B.C., and to put a pay cheque in their back pocket for doing so,” said Virk. “As the demand for health care continues to grow, we need to ensure that we continue to provide the right training in the right place to meet regional demands.”
The funding, which is targeted at programs running for one year or less, was awarded following a call for proposals to public post-secondary institutions. The almost $1.8 million will support 12 programs, including mental health and addictions and health care assistant, to be offered at eight public post-secondary institutions throughout B.C. This will create 221 additional student spaces in 2013-14.
Northern Lights College received funding to offer the Health Care Assistant program to 10 students at its Fort Nelson Campus. That program is slated to start in January 2014.
”This funding will increase spaces in a variety of short-term programs from mental health and addictions worker training to health care assistant training that support the delivery of front-line care to patients,” said Health Minister Terry Lake. “This is a great example of how government is assessing resources and targeting funding to best support the health and well-being of British Columbians.”
Post-secondary institutions that applied for funding through the call for proposals were assessed on criteria such as institutional capacity, student demand, clinical placement capacity, labour market demand, and past health education program delivery.
One-time funding for short-term health education programs addresses the immediate needs of specific communities that do not have sufficient student and employer demand to support a program on a long-term basis.
B.C.’s post-secondary institutions are helping address the needs of the health care system by ensuring that students in the health care professions have the skills and training they need to serve their communities effectively. rel-ehaltcarefunds