The B.C. Ministry of Advanced Education announced $158,022 for healthcare students in the Comox Valley and Port Alberni this week.
The one-time funding supports 20 new healthcare assistant spaces at NIC’s Comox Valley campus and space for nine emergency medical responder students. The Emergency Medical Responder programs is offered in partnership with the Justice Institute of B.C. at NIC’s Port Alberni campus.
“The 20 healthcare assistant spaces will certainly address the demand for front-line health workers on north Vancouver Island but most exciting is that 10 of those spaces will be offered as a special intake in the evening and weekends,” said NIC President John Bowman. “This allow those already working in the field the necessary flexibility to achieve their certification.”
The HCA funding will split between two different intakes: Ten of the Health Care Assistant students started in August, and 10 additional seats will be offered evenings and weekends starting February, 2016.
The funding is part of a $600,000 announcement for three public post-secondary institutions on Vancouver Island.
It is targeted at programs running for one year or less. It helps address the immediate needs of specific communities and aligns the supply of trained health-care professionals with demand.
It is in addition to NIC’s regular-funded health care assistant, Bachelor of Science in Nursing, and Practical Nursing training spaces across the North Island.