The province announced $180,000 in new funding for the College of New Caledonia to offer a health-care assistant program at its Quesnel campus.
Minister of Advanced Education, Skills and Training Melanie Marks announced the funding as part of $4.4 million in additional funding for training health care professionals.
"For years, British Columbians have been calling for more trained health professionals in their communities," Mark said in a press release. "We heard that call to action and we're investing in valuable, in-demand training in every corner of the province so that students preparing for careers in health care, or health professionals upgrading their skills, are able to provide quality health care when and where it is needed. It is because of the work of these unsung heroes in health care that we are at a place to safely build back the best B.C."
The one-time funding is designed to respond to local and emerging needs across B.C., and will also offer opportunities for existing health care professionals to upgrade their skills.
"We are committed to training, recruiting and hiring a new generation of health-care professionals at all levels, including respiratory therapists and critical care nurses, who are vital members of the health-care team," Health Minister Adrian Dix said in a press release. "Respiratory therapists and nurses working with patients during the COVID-19 pandemic have a high-risk role because of their hands-on work treating patients with breathing difficulties and I thank them for all they do."
Coast Mountain College also received funding for a health-care assistant program at its Kitimat campus. Other funding recipients included BCIT, Camosun College, North Island College, Nicola Valley Institute of Technology, Okanagan College, Thompson Rivers University and Vancouver College.
