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Stopping the spread starts with you. Visit ontario.ca/coronavirus to learn more Paid for by the Government of Ontario •Wear a face covering. • Keep 2m apart from anyone outside of your household. • Limit your close contact to your household only. •Wash your hands often. The solution to COVID-19 starts with keeping your distance. w at er lo oc hr on ic le .c a W at er lo o C hr on ic le | T hu rs da y, O ct ob er 22 ,2 02 0 | 4 do is create some capacity in the system by involving people who don't have the educa- tion or experience or the financial means to get the formal education required to do the work - trying to create a way for people to join this career," said Michael Bournon, ParaMed's district director. "We're actually looking for people that don't have experience, don't have education, but are looking for an employment opportu- nity that doesn't exist for them currently." There are 24 spots available in the pro- gram to start. The free education does come with a commitment to work for ParaMed for one year - or a guaranteed job for one year, depending on how one looks at it. Bournon said ParaMed, a nationally ac- credited provider, currently employs about 500 PSWs in the Waterloo region ar- ea and would still have more than enough work here for about 200 more. The compa- ny has a deficit of about 1,000 PSWs prov- ince-wide. Tuition for PSW programs normally of- fered at Conestoga is upwards of $4,200, but it makes sense for ParaMed to offset it, he said. The company has thousands of employ- ees across the country and there's a mas- sive recruitment cost when you look at overall turnover. "For me, making the math work, I can either spend thousands of dollars trying to recruit people from a different agency and all we're doing really is stealing them and not adding to the community, or we can di- vert some of that money we would spend on recruiting to create brand new PSWs," Bournon said. "I think the cost is probably very simi- lar to train and educate folks, so from my perspective, I think the money is well spent because we're adding value to the community overall... The student gets a full-time job and we get a worker we're struggling to find." Part of the cost is covered by the Cana- da-Ontario job grant. The spotlight has been on PSWs recent- ly due to the demand for them in long-term care and retirement homes during the pandemic. But PSWs enable people to stay in their homes rather than going into such institu- tionalized settings, said Jennifer Lyon, ParaMed's clinical educator. "They're also a main part of the reason that people are not going to have to go back to hospital because they're keeping their eyes on their clients and are the best advo- cates for them. A lot of these clients in their homes - unfortunately some of them don't see anyone else and our PSWs are the only ones going in, brightening their day, hav- ing that little chat with them when they're getting washed up." A greater number of PSWs will allow ParaMed to provide care for people cur- rently on wait lists as well as pair the same PSWs with clients on a regular basis for more consistent, quality care. Lyon said students will shadow with PSWs to get the required 200-hours worth of hands-on, real-world experience at local retirement and healthcare care facilities. That's the same requirement as the full- and part-time PSW programs offered nor- mally, she said. THE PSW FAST program doesn't cut corners and is essentially more compact, Lyon noted. It's a hybrid model with online classes over Zoom, independent learning modules and some in-lab training that can be done at campus sites across Waterloo region and Guelph. Bournon noted that the PSW FAST pro- gram offered by ParaMed is unique. "Conestoga College is recognized as a top Ontario college," he said. "Not to de- grade what some of the private schools do, but it's a top of the line education versus some of the private PSW colleges." For Pedersen, who had been consider- ing other options that would have cost tu- ition and taken longer, the challenge is daunting, but the timing couldn't be better. A newly certified PSW employed with ParaMed after graduating earns $16.50 to start with the chance to earn more on a grid system based on hours worked. Those interested in applying for the PSW FAST program can email Jenni- fer.Lyon@paramed.com. The deadline is Nov. 20, with classes beginning Nov. 30. STORY BEHIND THE STORY: A home health care service is offering a free educa- tion to help cover a shortage of personal support workers. We wanted to learn more about the program and the community need. NEWS Continued from page 1 24 SPOTS AVAILABLE IN PROGRAM TO START ParaMed clinical educator, Jennifer Lyon. Bill Jackson/Torstar