BARRHEAD – A dual credit program that trained students at Barrhead Composite High School, R.F. Staples School in Westlock and a number of other nearby schools to become health care aides is being put on hold for the 2020-2021 school year due to the roll-out of a new provincial funding formula.
On April 15, an update was posted to the Pembina Hills website regarding the suspension of the Health Care Aide program in the coming school year.
The update noted that back in March, the Ministry of Education unveiled a new funding formula for 2020-2021 that will require school leaders to consider high school programming differently.
It then noted the Health Care Aide program is being suspended until it can be determined that dual credit programs will not adversely affect other high school programming under this new formula.
“We appreciate how the Health Care Aide dual credit program has benefited our students as well as our local health care providers,” the website stated.
“We are proud of the students who have been employed locally as a result, or have used the experience as a stepping stone to additional training in the healthcare field. We are very grateful for the support of local agencies who were essential to the success of these students.”
The Health Care Aide dual credit program has been offered in Pembina Hills since the 2012-2013 school year through a partnership with NorQuest College.
Through the program, current high school students (and some recently-graduated students) were able to earn 25 Grade 12 credits and marks that could be used for their university/college entrance requirements.
They also earned a college Health Care Aide certificate that would allow them to work in hospitals, continuing care facilities and patient/home settings.
Health care aides provide direct assistance to elderly, disabled and chronically-ill patients, helping them with daily activities like dressing, eating, exercise, recreation and toileting.
The need for health care workers who can assist the elderly is high within Canada; by 2030, it is estimated that 23 per cent of Canadians will be over the age of 65.
Current program in limbo
While Pembina Hills has chosen to put the health care aide program on hold for the coming year, the fate of this year’s program is still in limbo due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Pembina Hills dual credit co-ordinator Karen Fischer said there are 16 students enrolled in the Health Care Aide program in this current school year.
Those students are now all at home completing coursework and being taught by instructors remotely, she said.
The one major hurdle to those students completing this year’s program is that they are required to do two clinical practical experiences, where they go into a local continuing care facility and work with patients for about a week.
That has obviously been postponed because students aren’t able to go into those facilities due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Fischer said.
One of those practicums was supposed to be completed over spring break, while the other was supposed to be done by the end of June.
Fischer said the plan is now to combine both of these clinical experiences and have students complete it in one shot once these facilities are open.
“I know the facilities in … both Westlock and Barrhead love to have our students,” she said.
“Our students have worked very hard, and we have excellent instructors. I’m very hopeful for all of them that once they’re finished their coursework, we’re going to be able to provide clinical opportunities for them to complete (their certification)."
Should the program be reinstated in the future, there will be a few changes moving forward, as the Health Care Aide curriculum for the Province of Alberta has recently been updated by NorQuest College to better align the program with other provinces.
The academic pre-requisite will be a minimum of English 20-2 and students must turn 18 before the end of the calendar year. There will also be an increase in the number of course hours as well, as the weeks of clinical practice required for certification and a comprehensive exit exam.
The course would continue to be completed in one year, but the completion date would be extended to possibly mid-August. Youth who are no older than 19 as of Sept. 1 would be eligible to enroll.
Kevin Berger, TownandCountryToday.com
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