To meet priority skills training needs of the health care sector and to support better health services and outcomes for the people of the province, the Honourable Dwight Ball, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, today announced the introduction of new and enhanced health sciences programming at multiple College of the North Atlantic (CNA) campuses in the province.

Premier Ball was joined by Brian Tobin, Vice President Academic Programs and Delivery of College of the North Atlantic; the Honourable John Haggie, Minister of Health and Community Services; the Honourable Christopher Mitchelmore, Minister of Advanced Education, Skills and Labour; and, the Honourable Gerry Byrne, Minister of Fisheries and Land Resources and MHA for Corner Brook.

CNA will introduce a new Advanced Care Paramedicine Program, previously only offered outside the province, at its Bay St. George campus in Stephenville and Prince Phillip Drive campus in St. John’s. This post-diploma program offers additional training for current primary care paramedicine practitioners, providing them with additional knowledge and skills for delivering advanced emergency health care, and preparing them to be leaders in emergency situations.

Prince Philip Drive campus will have 12 seats available in the fall of 2020, and another 12 in the fall of 2021. The program at Bay St. George campus will commence in fall 2021, with capacity for another 12 students.

The need for practical nurses and personal care attendants is also significant, particularly in areas of the province where new long-term care facilities are under construction.

Beginning in September 2020, expanded access to practical nursing will see 116 new seats added throughout the province, bringing the total to 265 seats. This includes new offerings at CNA campuses in Bay St. George, Burin, Gander and St. Anthony. Increased seat capacity will also be added in Corner Brook and Grand Falls-Windsor.

In addition, 96 personal care attendant seats will be added to the college system in September 2020, bringing the total number of seats to 232. This includes a new program in Bonavista, and increased capacity at campuses in Baie Verte, Carbonear, Clarenville, Corner Brook, Grand Falls-Windsor, Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Prince Philip Drive and St. Anthony. Another personal care attendant program will also be offered in Port Saunders by CNA in September 2020 via its St. Anthony campus.

More information on these programs can be found in the backgrounder below.

The Provincial Government is investing $10.3 million through the Labour Market Development Agreement (LMDA) to implement these programs.

Quotes
“Our government remains focused on making strategic investments to improve health services and outcomes for residents. This investment is addressing a labour shortage, resulting in additional employment opportunities while helping to reach our goal of improving health outcomes. Through partnerships with the regional health authorities and College of the North Atlantic, we have worked to identify responsive training needs of the health care sector in the province.”
Honourable Dwight Ball
Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador

“Paramedics, practical nurses and personal care attendants play an important role in our health care system. As we continue to expand infrastructure and realign services to meet the changing needs of our population, we must have skilled workers to provide care and improve outcomes.”
Honourable John Haggie
Minister of Health and Community Services

“Through The Way Forward on Workforce Development, our government is utilizing reliable labour market information that allows us to predict job opportunities, training needs and skill gaps of the future. We will continue to work in partnership with stakeholders, such as those in the health care sector, to focus our training efforts on support job creation and economic growth.”
Honourable Christopher Mitchelmore
Minister of Advanced Education, Skills and Labour

“With more than $10 million going directly to training in health care programs, this government is investing strategically to empower College of the North Atlantic to continue to do what it does best – provide quality education and training throughout this province where it is needed, including right here at its Corner Brook campus.”
Honourable Gerry Byrne
Minister of Fisheries and Land Resources
MHA for Corner Brook

“College of the North Atlantic and its program offerings reflect the diverse nature of the demands and requirements of the labour markets. As this province’s public post-secondary college, we are continuously addressing shortages of qualified workers and skilled training gaps in various sectors. Health care affects us all, and we are delighted to be able to work with government to provide new and expanded programs at our campuses throughout Newfoundland and Labrador. The next few years will see a significant improvement in the availability of highly skilled graduates from our School of Health Sciences thanks to today’s announcement.”
Bruce Hollett
President and CEO, College of the North Atlantic

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Media contacts
Jeremy Reynolds
Office of the Premier
709-729-3558
jeremyreynolds@gov.nl.ca

Ryan Crocker
Advanced Education, Skills and Labour
709-729-1795, 709-725-9595
ryancrocker@gov.nl.ca

Kathy Dicks-Peyton
Health and Community Services
709-729-6986, 699-1982
kathydickspeyton@gov.nl.ca

Michelle Barry
College of the North Atlantic
709-643-7721
michelle.barry@cna.nl.ca

BACKGROUNDER

Health Sciences Programs for College of the North Atlantic

Advanced Care Paramedicine Program
The Advanced Care Paramedicine (ACP) post-diploma program is designed to provide upskilling for current primary care paramedicine practitioners, providing them with additional knowledge and skills for delivering advanced emergency health care and preparing them to function as leaders in emergency situations. Graduates of the program will have demonstrated the ability to safely and competently assess, diagnose and treat patients in a variety of situations.

Changes	Campus/ Location	Start Date
New Offering	Prince Philip Drive campus in St. John’s, NL	Sept. 2020 Sept. 2021
New Offering	Bay St. George campus in Stephenville	Sept. 2021

 

Practical Nursing Program
The Practical Nursing (PN) diploma program is designed to prepare graduates to provide nursing services for clients in institutional- and community-based settings within the approved scope of practice for licensed practical nurses in Newfoundland and Labrador. It introduces the student to the role of practical nurse in promoting, protecting, restoring, maintaining and supporting the health status of individuals across the health and developmental continuum.

The program encompasses classroom work supplemented with skills labs and nursing practice components. Graduates will have potential employment opportunities to work as part of a multidisciplinary team in a variety of health care settings within the province. These graduates are currently in high demand.

Changes	Campus	Start Date
New Offering	Bay St. George	Sept. 2020
New Offering	Burin	Sept. 2020
No Change	Carbonear	Sept. 2020
No Change	Clarenville	Sept. 2020
Increased Capacity	Corner Brook	Sept. 2020
New Offering	Gander	Sept. 2020
Increased Capacity	Grand Falls-Windsor	Sept. 2020
No Change	Happy Valley-Goose Bay	Sept. 2020
New Offering	St. Anthony	Sept. 2020

 

Personal Care Attendant Program
CNA’s Personal Care Attendant (PCA) program comprises 840 course hours delivered over a 30-week period across two semesters, each containing 13 weeks. Travel to other institutions/agencies is required for clinical and may be required for some laboratory offerings, depending on equipment availability at the educational institution. Students are responsible for transportation to/from clinical and laboratory experiences.

Changes	Campus	Start Date
Increased Capacity	Baie Verte	Sept. 2020
New Offering	Bonavista	Sept. 2020
Increased Capacity	Carbonear	Sept. 2020
Increased Capacity	Clarenville	Sept. 2020
Increased Capacity	Corner Brook	Sept. 2020
Increased Capacity	Grand Falls-Windsor	Sept. 2020
Increased Capacity	Happy Valley-Goose Bay	Sept. 2020
New Offering	Port Saunders	Sept. 2020
Increased Capacity	Prince Philip Drive	Sept. 2020
Increased Capacity	St. Anthony	Sept. 2020