News

Ontario Supports Local Training of Personal Support Workers

Project will fill in-demand jobs and provide critical support to long-term care homes

NORTH BAY – Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli is pleased to announce that the Ontario government is providing Canadore College with $295,500 to connect 20 unemployed jobseekers from the local Ontario Works caseload with Personal Support Worker (PSW) training. This funding will ensure Ontario has more PSWs to provide the best care for seniors and residents in long-term care homes, while connecting people with meaningful work.

“Our government is taking action to help people develop new and incredibly important skills that will benefit some of the most vulnerable people in our community,” said MPP Fedeli. “Personal Support Workers are at the heart of long-term care and continue to ensure that our loved ones receive the quality of care they need and deserve”.

The government’s investment will support a number of PSW training projects in regions hard hit by the pandemic. The funding will also be used to develop educational resources to minimize PSWs’ exposure to infections. Some projects have already begun while others will start later in the spring and run for several weeks or months.

For more information on the PSW training, please contact your local Employment Ontario office.

Quick Facts

• Long-term care homes are places where adults can live and receive help with most or all daily activities and access to 24-hour nursing and personal care. These homes provide more nursing and personal care than retirement homes or supportive housing.
• In its 2020 Budget, Ontario’s Action Plan: Protect, Support, Recover, the government committed an additional $180.5 million over three years to help existing workers improve their skills.
• A Better Place to Live; A Better Place to Work: Ontario’s Long-Term Care Staffing Plan is the province’s plan to increase the hours of direct care for residents to an average of four hours per day, making the province a leader in Canada. The plan sets out actions to hire more staff, improve working conditions for existing staff, drive effective and accountable leadership, and implement retention strategies.