Why give to health care training? Health care staffing shortages are critical and expected to grow in the coming years. Forecasts predict that health care and social assistance will have the greatest number of new openings in the province with 148,000 job openings in the next 10 years. In the Thompson-Okanagan, hospitals, nursing and residential care facilities will expand with 4,870 new job openings in addition to filling the need of 6,230 existing positions due to retirement or vacancies by 2028. By 2035, one in four people in the Central Okanagan will be over the age of 65. With an aging demographic and a growing population, we need to attract more people to health care careers and convince them to stay in the region. Okanagan College graduates 450 health sciences and social care professionals a year. The new Health Sciences Centre will help us attract new students and ensure they train using the latest health care technology and settings in a multidisciplinary facility. A new Centre will also give us capacity to educate more students in high-demand areas.
Programs Taught in New Centre
Needs in our Community
• • • • • • • •
CRITICAL CRITICAL CRITICAL CRITICAL SERIOUS SERIOUS STABLE STABLE
Bachelor of Science in Nursing Certified Dental Assistant Early Childhood Education Health Care Assistant Human Service Work Pharmacy Technician Practical Nursing Therapist Assistant
Continuing Studies programs offered • Aboriginal Community Support Worker Certificate • Dental Office Administrative Assistant Certificate • Gastroenterology Nursing Certificate • Medical Device Reprocessing Technician Certificate
6
• Medical Office Assistant Certificate • Nursing Unit Certificate • Perianesthesia Nursing Certificate