A substantial funding agreement has been made to help Aurora College expand on their Personal Support Worker Program.
Following on an announcement that the Federal Government would be sending $5.3 million to the Northwest Territories, Aurora College has shared the news that they will be receiving $3.2 million from that donation to help strengthen and improve upon their Personal Support Worker Certificate Program.
This funding will be used to help train, recruit, and retain a new wave of Personal Support Workers (PSWs). These roles are designed to provide compassionate support and improve the physical and mental well-being of Elders and other seniors. They provide basic care and assistance to those who have difficulty performing tasks, while also providing their subjects with activities to keep them physically and mentally stimulated.
The training program at Aurora College is a ten-month certificate program that allows the students to gain hands-on experience at long-term care facilities, hospitals, community living centres, and private homes. This program has been running annually at Yellowknife’s North Slave Campus since 2008, with occasional full time, in-person deliveries to Inuvik and Behchoko.
Dr. Angela James, the President of Aurora College, shared her thoughts on the donation.
“This five-year investment is a recognition of the important work that is done every day by Personal Support Workers and the critical need to increase the numbers of qualified Northerners in these roles. The funding will allow Aurora College to continue to expand and enhance program delivery for our students, increase the number of students we can enrol, and will allow for expanded supports to ensure the students succeed.”
Since the program’s introduction in 2008, there have been 230 students who have graduated from the PSW certification program. Additionally, between 2021 and 2024, there have been 34 students who have graduated from the distance PSW program to study from communities across the NWT.
