Ontario Funds Training for More Personal Support Workers at Private Career Colleges and School Boards

April 28, 2021

OAKVILLE NORTH-BURLINGTON — MPP Effie Triantafilopoulos, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Long-Term Care, announced today that the Ontario government is investing $86 million to help train up to 8,000 personal support workers (PSWs) through private career colleges and school boards.

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. Interested students can apply to one of Ontario’s private career colleges at ontario.ca/page/private-career-colleges.

Quotes from Effie Triantafilopoulos MPP

“Ontario’s personal support workers provide vital and compassionate care in long-term care homes in our community and across Ontario. Today’s investment will help meet our government’s commitment to an average of four hours of direct daily care for long-term care residents. As well, it will make it easier for students to access careers as personal support workers.”

“To ensure we meet our commitment to four hours of direct care per day for residents in long term care homes, we are also training nearly 9,000 PSWs in community colleges towards a goal of 27,000 new PSWs, nurses and other staff in long-term care by 2025.”

QUICK FACTS

  • Ontario’s historic Long-Term Care Staffing Plan will invest up to $1.9 billion annually by 2024-25 to create more than 27,000 new positions for personal support workers, registered nurses and registered practical nurses in long-term care to meet our commitment to four hours of direct care for every resident
  • 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 in Ontario’s 24 publicly-assisted colleges.
  • 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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Media Contact: David Lancaster, Executive Assistant

                                david.lancaster@pc.ola.org