Skills2Care – Supportive Care Assistant
Fanshawe CTS is launching a new skills development program targeting the healthcare industry. The program is geared towards unemployed or *underemployed individuals in Southwestern Ontario and is completely free to qualifying participants.
By providing healthcare-specific training for a variety of roles, the program will generate employment opportunities with local organizations and contribute to filling current employment gaps in the industry.
*Underemployment can apply to individuals working limited hours or in a position that does not align with their skill set, education, or experience level.
Overview
The Skills2Care project is comprised of 3 distinct phases:
- Training - four weeks of online training in both self-directed and virtual classroom formats. Training focuses on essential and technical workplace skills.
- Work placement – four weeks of paid full-day employment with a local employer within the healthcare sector. Employment opportunities could include long-term care facilities, home care settings, retirement facilities, etc. Participants are not required to find their own employer for the work placement portion of the program.
- Employment support - four additional weeks of follow-up and support from an Employment Consultant for both participants and employers.
Note - participants who are currently collecting employment insurance can continue to leverage that support throughout the initial 4 weeks of training, but not during the paid work placement.
Curriculum
- Orientation to the healthcare sector – sector-specific sessions with employers from long-term care, home care and assisted living settings for both the elderly and disabled.
- Essential workplace skills – a series of workshops covering communication, interpersonal skills, active listening, problem solving and conflict resolution.
- Practical supportive care skills – assistance with mealtime, grooming, housekeeping, recreation activities (with a focus on person-centred care), safety and infection control.
- Job-readiness sessions – interviewing skills and confidence-building sessions as well as self-care workshops to prepare for working in a healthcare setting.
- Learning that supports individual needs in areas of literacy, language proficiency and digital skills.
Registration
The program launches in September 2021 with additional intakes in October, January, and February. To begin the registration process, please email cts@fanshawec.ca or call 1-844-CTS-FANS (1-844-287-3267) and reference the Skills2Care Supportive Care Assistant program.
Employers
Employers in the healthcare industry in Southwestern Ontario may be eligible for supports for lost productivity of workplace mentors and/or paid release time for participants in formal job placements.
If you are interested in hosting a work placement, or to learn more about the program, please contact cts@fanshawec.ca and reference the Skills2Care Supportive Care Assistant program.
Participants and eligibility
To qualify for the Skills2Care program, participants must meet the following criteria:
- Minimum 18 years of age;
- Must be unemployed/underemployed, precariously employed, or employed with low household income;
- Not currently participating in any full-time training or education, or in another government training initiative that offers funding support for similar training or training-related costs;
- Must be a resident of Ontario and legally entitled to work in Canada (citizens, permanent residents, or protected persons). Individuals who are not permanent residents or citizens (for example, 900-series social insurance number holders) may be eligible if they meet the exceptions indicated in the Province's advisory on eligibility.
Indigenous peoples, newcomers, women, and youth are encouraged to apply.
Note - to meet the workplace-specific requirements, current immunizations and a vulnerable sector checks are required.
This Employment Ontario project is funded in part by the Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario.