New pilot project will provide fully-paid-for accelerated, digitally enhanced training for 150 new personal support workers in Durham Region
Toronto, ON – April 29, 2022 – Today, Computek College, one of Canada’s leading career colleges, announced an investment of $1.84M over one year by the Ontario Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development for its Compassion Tech pilot program in partnership with the Town of Ajax. Computek is also investing an additional amount of nearly $2.0M into this pilot.
Supported by the Ontario government’s Skills Development Fund (SDF), Compassion Tech is a free, accelerated accreditation pilot program for the education, training, licensing, and employment of 150 personal support workers (PSWs) in and around Ajax. The pilot seeks to remove barriers to education and employment by reducing the commute times of the potential workforce, providing them with on-the-job training in local health and long-term care (LTC) institutions, and directly placing them in jobs with committed employment partners.
Last year, West Durham was identified as one of the province’s fifteen priority communities due to the high incidence of COVID-19 prevalence, low testing rates, and sociodemographic barriers to testing and self-isolation. To address this priority, the Ontario government is making several investments in the healthcare sector in the region. This includes the 320-bed Lakeridge Gardens state-of-the-art LTC home that was recently opened – the first LTC home developed under Ontario’s Accelerated Build Pilot Program – as well as other healthcare infrastructure projects that are already underway.
Computek College recognises the need for cross-cutting partnerships to improve the capacity of communities to respond to shocks to labour market conditions in in-demand, emerging, and essential sectors to quicken the market-led recovery of the talent economy following COVID-19. Therefore, the college is taking a hyper-localized approach in developing partnerships with municipalities and employers to create employer-responsive training pipelines to achieve long-term employment solutions that will help create good jobs. In doing so, Computek also focuses on vulnerable groups such as newcomers and immigrants, women, and Black and racialized persons when addressing critical talent gaps in the labour market. This pilot is the first of several investments that Computek is making in the Durham Region.
The Compassion Tech pilot will run until March 2023. Additional information and student enrollment information can be found at https://computek.edu/freepswtraining.
Quotes
“Our Government is working for workers every day. Through our Skills Development Fund, we’re giving workers the training they need to fill in-demand jobs, earn bigger paychecks and advance in rewarding careers that make their families and communities stronger. Our Government has a workers-first plan to deliver a stronger Ontario. As we build today for a better tomorrow, we need all hands on deck. We’re leaving nobody behind and we’re getting it done.”
–The Honourable Monte McNaughton, Ontario Minister of Labour, Training, and Skills Development
“On behalf of the Region of Durham, I am thrilled to see this significant investment in one of our local Personal Support Worker (PSW) programs, through the Provincial Government’s Skill Development Fund, in partnership with the Town of Ajax and Computek College. This investment will accelerate the pathway to educate, train, license, and employ 150 PSWs in Ajax and across Durham Region. The pandemic has highlighted the critical role of PSWs in caring for our residents in long-term care and homecare, and with two new long-term care facilities coming to Ajax and others planned across the region, we anticipate the need for many more PSWs. This funding addresses the growing demand for qualified health care workers here in Durham Region. I look forward to the positive impact that this funding will have on Durham Region in the months and years to come.”
–John Henry, Chair and Chief Executive Officer, The Regional Municipality of Durham
“One of Ajax Council’s main priorities is the health and safety of our community. Our personal support workers have been resilient in their efforts, especially throughout the pandemic, providing ongoing critical care for our residents. We are excited to partner with Computek College to facilitate faster recovery within our healthcare system and allow for more personal support workers to seek accessible training needed to continue to excel in all of the incredible work they do. This partnership reaffirms the Town’s commitment to continued growth within our business community and timely development of fully-paid-for accelerated programs to support our healthcare workers and residents. On behalf of Ajax Council I would like to thank the Government of Ontario and Computek College for this significant investment in Ajax.”
–His Worship Shaun Collier, Mayor of Ajax
“Our commitment to helping build a bigger, bolder and more inclusive Canada that can be a beacon for the world begins with creating good jobs here at home and strengthening our local economies. For more than 30 years, this commitment has afforded us the privilege to train hard working and highly capable newcomers to Ontario to adapt to fast changing labour market conditions. Today’s announcement focused on Ajax and the Durham Region will help us do more of this important work to address the critical staffing gaps in our healthcare sector that have been exposed during the pandemic.”
–Muraly Srinarayanathas, Chief Executive Officer, Computek College
About Computek College
Established over 30 years ago, Computek College is one of Canada’s leading career colleges dedicated to helping students from all walks of life succeed. It provides practical diploma and certificate programs in business, healthcare, and technology for newcomers and internationally trained professionals to become employed in the healthcare, business, and technology sectors. Students learn from industry-proven instructors, access innovative curricula responsively designed to fast-changing labour market demands, and effectively leverage additional soft skills, micro-credentials, digital adoption training, and enhanced career services to give them a competitive edge in the job market. Learn more at https://computek.edu.
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