Health care assistants are members of the health care team. They provide personal care in a variety of health care settings including acute care hospitals, assisted living facilities, group homes, residential care and community care.
CNC and Northern Health are partnering on delivering the new Health Career Access Program (HCAP), an initiative of the Government of British Columbia. This is a work-study program, designed to increase the number of health care assistants in BC. This means a change to how you would normally apply to CNC to learn the skills needed for the role.
HCAP is only available to individuals hired as health care support workers by Northern Health or another approved health care employer in the region CNC serves. You complete your training while also working part-time as a health care support worker, providing a variety of critical non-clinical, non-direct care supports to patients and residents.
Upon completion of this fully-sponsored program, you earn a recognized post-secondary credential and are eligible to register as a health care assistant.
How do I apply to HCAP?
Step 1
Apply to a Health Care Support Worker- Home care/community position at Northern Health’s external employment page. Look under the job category:
"Support services – Healthcare Support Worker training opportunities”.
Once you receive and accept your offer of employment, work and training will begin.
Step 2
You will complete online orientation several weeks before school starts. You will attend school full time until graduation.
Step 3
After successfully completing your education you will complete your return of service agreement with Northern Health within the community that you trained in.
If no external postings are currently up, email HCAP@northernhealth.ca.
For all health care support workers becoming health care assistants
Northern Health will first hire you as a health care support worker. To become a health care assistant, you will then complete basic training and onboarding provided by Northern Health or another approved health care employer. You will be a full-time employee at this point, with most work hours and course costs for the health care assistant program covered.
After you complete basic training, you enter a structured education program with CNC to become a health care assistant. You will take courses while you are a health care support worker. Your education and work times will be scheduled and will not conflict.
If you have applied for the program in the area served by CNC (Burns Lake, Fort St. James, Mackenzie Prince George, the Robson Valley, Quesnel, and Vanderhoof), please note CNC will be in touch with you once Northern Health or another approved employer has finished the first review of your application.
We appreciate your patience through this process.