The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the crucial role front-line health-care workers play in caring for Canadians. At the same time, it has exacerbated and exposed several challenges in the personal care sector, including labour shortages and skills gaps. To address these challenges, Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan) will be leading the development of a national occupational standard (NOS) for personal care providers (also called personal support workers, health care aides, and other titles).
Funded by the Government of Canada’s Sectoral Initiatives Program, and part of CICan’s Building Capacity in Long-term Care project, the NOS will provide a comprehensive definition of what it means to work as a personal care provider and identify the skills, knowledge, and abilities required to succeed in the role. The standard will help employers, job seekers, workers, students, and educators make informed decisions about hiring, skills training, and career choices.
The NOS will also include statements of effective performance which have been agreed to by key stakeholders. It will provide the basis for national consistency and help ensure every individual receiving support from these roles can count on a high level of care.
To create the standard, CICan is working with its members, personal care providers, employers, provinces and territories, educators, workers’ organizations, and sector representatives.
CICan is actively seeking additional stakeholders to help shape the new national occupational standard by responding to two surveys. Interested individuals can complete a contact form and will receive the first survey by email in mid-September.
The National Occupational Standard for Personal Care Providers will be completed by the spring of 2022.
Please visit for more information: https://www.collegesinstitutes.ca/news-centre/news-release/colleges-and-institutes-canada-to-lead-the-development-of-a-national-occupational-standard-for-personal-care-providers/