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Local PSW says new training regimen a 'band-aid' solution

'It’ll help shortages ... but people don’t typically stay in this field because we’re undervalued, underpaid and there’s no full-time security,' says local PSW

More than 8,000 new personal support workers (PSWs) will be given the chance to graduate quicker thanks to a new accelerated program for post-secondary students. 

The new training program for PSWs was announced Thursday by the provincial government and will involve a huge increase in PSW students training at Ontario’s colleges, including Georgian College.

The province announced funding this week for an accelerated program that will cover students’ tuition and other expenses. The accelerated program starts April 5 and allows participants to graduate with full credentials within six months, as opposed to the standard programs that take eight months. 

The Christian Labour Association of Canada (CLAC), a union representing more than 60,000 workers in almost every sector of the economy, applauds the move.

The CLAC includes staff at Barrie's Roberta Place long-term care home, which was thrust into the national spotlight this year due to a deadly COVID-19 outbreak. Between Jan. 8 and Feb 18, Roberta Place recently saw 71 people die due the infiltration of the UK variant. 

CLAC Ontario director Ian DeWaard compared the new PSW training to that of a skilled trade apprentice. 

“Support will include full tuition payment and wages during placements for experiential learning. This earn-as-you-learn approach will remove barriers to becoming a PSW and serves as a major first instalment toward finding the tens of thousands of PSWs who are needed in long-term care,” said DeWaard. "This funded tuition and paid learning experience is comparable to the support that is provided to apprentices in the skilled trades.”

The program will begin accepting applications in early March and will allow students to fulfil program requirements more quickly by increasing the number of study hours per week.

A staffing study released in 2020 by the Ministry of Long-Term Care cited a significant turnover and retention problem in the province’s long-term care sector. It reported that 40 per cent of new recruits leave within their first year and that more than 25 per cent of PSWs with two or more years of experience leave long-term care annually. 

Elizabeth Perez, 28, is a PSW at Roberta Place. She believes the changes are “putting a Band-Aid on” the dire situation with PSWs in the province. 

“It’ll help shortages for the time being in a crisis like this, but people don’t typically stay in this field because we’re undervalued, underpaid and there’s no full-time security,” Perez said. “The job is extremely difficult and it takes a special person to enter this field and do the job right. Anyone can get into this field really, but will they actually do the care with love and compassion?”

Perez said she believes the program will be a waste of money because “I doubt people will actually stay until they fix the core of the problem.”

Georgian College president and CEO Dr. MaryLynn West-Moynes said Georgian College will have 148 seats available which will be delivered at several Georgian campuses, including Orillia. 

“Our PSW graduates provide important support services to people living at home, in long-term care or acute care facilities,” said Dr. MaryLynn West-Moynes, President and CEO, Georgian College. “They’re an integral part of the health-care team. This new accelerated program will help us attract local students who want to pursue a career in health care and work locally in their clinical placements and after graduation.”

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Shawn Gibson

About the Author: Shawn Gibson

Shawn Gibson is a staff writer based in Barrie
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