Accelerated PSW program coming to Durham College

Durham College is going to be offering an accelerated program for personal support workers.

Elaine Popp, executive vice president of academics at Durham College, says this accelerated program will have a positive impact on students and the community.

“Demand for graduates with these vital skills has never been higher and we are happy to partner with the province to help meet it.”

With more study hours per week, the accelerated program will use a hybrid model that combines remote learning with in-person practical experience, consisting of taking courses virtually and participating in laboratory classes and in care settings, according to the college.

After three months, students will also be able to participate in paid work placements, in long-term care homes and other settings.

Start dates for the Personal Support Worker (PSW) Accelerated program will be offered in April, May and June.

The news of the accelerated PSW program at Durham College comes after the province announced recently it would be investing in a campaign to train up to 8,200 new PSWs for high demand jobs in Ontario’s health and long-term care sectors by fall 2021.

Premier Doug Ford announced the government will be investing more than $115 million for the initiative, a collaboration with all 24 publicly assisted colleges in Ontario.

The Accelerated PSW Training Program is a tuition-free opportunity for 6,000 new students and is expected to take only six months to complete, rather than the typical eight months.

The province is also offering tuition assistance to students who are close to finishing an existing PSW program – nearly 2,200 students will be eligible to receive a $2,000 tuition grant to help them complete their studies, as well as a stipend to complete the clinical placement part of their training.

“We are taking monumental steps to protect our most vulnerable and provide the highest quality of care when and where residents need it,” Ford says. “We will achieve this by recruiting and training some of our best and brightest to be PSWs. This will improve the quality of life for our seniors and begin to correct the decades of neglect in this sector.”

With more study hours per week, the accelerated program will use a hybrid model that combines remote learning with in-person practical experience, consisting of taking courses virtually and taking part in lab classes and in cares settings.

After three months, students will also be able to participate in paid work placements, in long-term care homes and other settings.

Students currently enrolled in the winter 2021 intake of the traditional PSW program at DC, as well as those planning to enrol for fall 2021, are eligible to receive the $2,000 bursary to support their studies.

More information about the PSW Accelerated program, including admission requirements, answers to FAQs, and details to apply can be found on the Durham College website.