Ontario investing in new program to train long-term care workers
The province has announced $26 million in new investments into long-term care.
The Professional Growth Fund, which trains and upskills staff in long-term care homes, will be receiving an additional $5.5 million this year, bringing the total investment into the fund up to $15.5 million for 2025-2026.
The remaining $21 million will go into a new program to bring education into long-term care homes through “practical nurse (PN) Living classrooms”.
Traditionally, personal support workers (PSWs) and registered practical nurses (RPNs) begin with classroom education before moving into clinical placements.
The new program will offer students looking to enter the field of long-term care the chance to receive an education in their home communities, with studying and training opportunities integrated into long-term care homes.
This change particularly implicates students from smaller communities, who would previously have had to leave home for their education.
The new investments are meant to help bring approximately 3,000 new long-term care PSWs and RPNs into the field by 2029.
