Certificate in Health Care Assistant

The Health Care Assistant Program will support you in developing the confidence, knowledge and skills required to provide safe care and contribute to the physical, emotional and social well-being of clients in a variety of health care settings. During the first 16 weeks, you will complete theory classes either online or in person, followed by in-person lab courses on the Trail Campus. For the final ten weeks of the program, you’ll complete 270 hours of practice in residential and community care settings. We offer flexible study options to help you make it work. As a graduate, you will be a respected member of the health care team and work under the direction and supervision of a health professional.

English at the Grade 10 level with a minimum of 67% or equivalent
Applicants for whom English is a second language are required to demonstrate proficiency in English as outlined by the BC Care Aide and Community Health Worker Registry. Standardized proficiency assessments and required scores in all four language skills areas (speaking, listening, reading and writing)
Applicants are required to complete the College Readiness Tool (CRT) in reading, writing and mathematics.
Three personal references and an applicant information questionnaire serve to provide evidence of the personal characteristics required by the program. Such references should be supplied by counsellors, employers, instructors or supervisors. References from friends and relatives are not acceptable for this purpose.
Criminal record check (CRC) clearance letter received by the Ministry of Justice. Selkirk College will not seek practice placements for students whose CRC is adjudicated and deemed unacceptable for working with vulnerable clients.
Individuals entering the HCA Program are advised that they must meet the requirements for immunization established for health care workers by the British Columbia Ministry of Health prior to entering clinical practice settings.
Students require basic computer skills, including knowledge of the internet, accessing online information, email and word processing.
Applicants are required to have current certification in a First Aid course that includes CPR-C and FoodSafe Level 1.
Applicants, whose first language is not English, or who have received their primary education in a language other than English, are required to provide proof of English language proficiency in one of the
following ways:
(a) completion of BC English 12 with a minimum final grade of C+ at an English curriculum secondary school where English is the primary language
(b) completion of International Baccalaureate (IB) English Language A (Higher level) with a minimum grade of 3 or C
(c) completion of the Advanced 4 and 5 (or equivalent) of the Selkirk College English Language Program with a minimum of C+ (60%)average in core subjects and provincial level English 51, with at least a C+grade
(d) submission of an Official TOEFL score of 213 (CBT), or TOEFL (IBT) score of 7980, or TOEFL (PBT) score of 550, or better,
(e) submission of an IELTS score of at least 6.0 overall with no band score less than 5.5