Vancouver School Board trustee Dominato asks for expansion of care aide spaces

A Vancouver School Board (VSB) trustee is tabling a motion at this evening’s Board of Education meeting asking staff to explore expanding the number of available spaces for health care assistants (HCAs) the district’s dual credit program beyond just two per school year.

In a release posted on her Facebook page, VSB trustee Lisa Dominato writes, “I will be bringing forward a motion to explore how we might expand our existing dual credit program for health care assistants so that we can be part of the solution in addressing seniors care, while providing our students with rich education and career opportunities.

“The current partnership with VCC – Vancouver Community College provides two spaces a year and I want to explore how this can be expanded.”

During his presentation at last Friday’s BC Continuing Care Collaborative, BCCPA CEO Daniel Fontaine told over 170 delegates present that Vancouver’s school district only made two spaces available for care aides. It triggered an audible gasp from some in the room.

“As the largest city in British Columbia, and by extension the largest number of seniors within its boundaries, having just two spaces available to train HCAs is woefully adequate,” says Fontaine. “Thankfully Trustee Dominato agrees, and we hope that other school trustees around the province will take her lead by providing more opportunities for students to work in seniors care. B.C. seniors are counting on our school districts to step up!”

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Trustee Lisa Dominato’s motion reads as follows:

Be it resolved that:

The Vancouver Board of Education (VBE) explore expanding the dual credit program for health care assistants offered through its existing partnership with Vancouver Community College (VCC).

The Vancouver Board of Education explore new partnerships with local community colleges to expand the number of seats offered each year for the health care assistants program.

Last Thursday, BCCPA announced that it had contacted every school district in B.C. to either establish, or expand, dual credit program spaces for health care aides as part of its #BecauseBCCares awareness campaign.