SimpleFoto / Depositphotos.com
A new program that’s already filling a need in the Ottawa Valley’s long-term care homes is doing so well, they’re ready for a second run.
Willis College’s Arnprior branch is ready to take in new applicants for their Living Classroom program for Personal Support Workers, which will blend 30 weeks of virtual theory study with an eight-week clinical placement at the Grove Long Term Care home starting in January.
Vice President of Enrollment, Bonnie Gardner, says their first class, which started in the summer, is now just a few weeks away from being ready to head straight into the professional workforce.
Gardner points out that the Valley has been facing a shortage of PSWs for some time, and the chance to connect with the Grove and Arnprior Regional Health has allowed them to provide a positive work-life balance for their students while also eliminating what would have been costly commutes into the city for classes.
The Living Classroom hybrid learning model has been a major benefit for the students, who will leave the program well-acquainted with potential clients at the Grove and other long-term care homes in the area.
Students will be paid a stipend for their clinical placement, and graduates will receive $10,000 in exchange for a 12-month commitment to ARH.
More information on the program is available on the Willis College website.
(written by Kasey Egan)