Ontario Helps Train More Personal Support Workers

Pete Fisher
4 years ago
• Categories: Provincial

Financial assistance available for students enrolled at Private Career Colleges and School Boards

The Ontario government is providing $86 million to help train up to 8,000 personal support workers (PSWs) through private career colleges and district school boards. This investment is part of the government’s Long-Term Care Staffing Plan and is yet another way the province is collaborating with key partners to improve the care and quality of life of people living in long-term care.

“Personal support workers are the backbone of long-term care and do vital work every day so that our loved ones receive the care they need and deserve,” said Dr. Merrilee Fullerton, Minister of Long-Term Care. “This investment will help us deliver on our government’s Canada-leading commitment to ensure residents receive, on average, four hours of direct daily care per day and enable thousands of Ontarians to embark on new careers in the healthcare sector.”

Financial support will be available to new students enrolled in a PSW program at one of the participating Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) approved private career colleges. Eligible students in private career colleges can receive up to $13,235 to cover the costs of tuition, books and other mandatory fees, as well as a stipend for a clinical work placement. To be eligible for financial support, students must start their PSW training at a participating private career college between May 1 and July 31, 2021.

“Ontario’s private career colleges provide world-class training for our frontline healthcare workers, including PSWs,” said Ross Romano, Minister of Colleges and Universities. “We’re making it easier for more students to access personal support worker programs at private career colleges to prepare them for critical jobs caring for some of the most vulnerable people in Ontario.”

Financial support will also be available to students enrolled in a PSW program at an Ontario district school board. Eligible students could receive up to $7,735 for equipment, books and other mandatory fees, as well as a stipend for a guaranteed work placement. To be eligible for financial support, students must either be currently enrolled in a PSW program during the 2020-21 school year (as of September 2020) or must begin classes between April 1, 2021 and March 31, 2022.

“Through adult and continuing education programs, we are helping to train additional personal support workers to protect Ontario seniors and their families,” said Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education. “We are creating opportunities and investing more so individuals can concurrently earn their Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) and a PSW certification.”

Today’s announcement builds on the Province’s recent investment of $115 million to train up to 8,200 PSWs at Ontario’s publicly assisted colleges in partnership with Colleges Ontario. The Ontario government is also investing $239 million to extend temporary wage enhancements for PSWs and direct support workers in publicly funded home and community care, long-term care, public hospitals, and social services sectors.

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Quick Facts

• Ontario’s Action Plan: Protecting People’s Health and Our Economy, outlines measures to defeat COVID‑19, fix long-term care and make sure people can access the health care they need.
• Ontario’s historic Long-Term Care Staffing Plan sets out actions to recruit and train tens of thousands of healthcare workers towards fulfilling the province’s commitment to increase direct hands-on care for residents to an average of four hours a day.
• PSW training is the second highest enrolment category at private career colleges in Ontario.
• Through the 2021 Ontario Budget, the government is investing an additional $650 million in long‑term care in 2021–22, including more than $121 million to accelerate the training of nearly 9,000 personal support workers.
• Twenty-three school boards offer Personal Support Worker (PSW) training programs through their adult and continuing education programs at 41 sites across the province.

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Additional Resources

• Read A Better Place to Live, A Better Place to Work: Ontario’s Long-Term Care Staffing Plan.
• Apply to one of Ontario’s Private Career Colleges.
• Find your local school board for more information on availability of school board PSW programs.
• Learn more about the province’s Accelerated Personal Support Worker Training program being offered by all 24 public colleges.