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Health Care Assistant

Work as a Health Care Assistant

Health care assistants work on the frontline to promote and maintain the health, safety, independence, comfort, and well-being of individuals and families. They provide personal assistance and services, as a caregiver, and recognize the unique needs, abilities, and backgrounds of clients and their families.

Health care assistants are qualified to work in a number of settings including home support, assisted living, residential and complex care, special care units, and acute care.

Health Care Assistant Program

Vancouver Career College offers an integrated Health Care Assistant diploma program, which includes two practice experience placements.

This caregiver program offers training in mental health first aid, personal care and assistance, caring for individuals in palliative care, and caring for individuals with cognitive challenges, such as dementia.

To be eligible to work as a health care assistant (HCA) in any public health care setting in BC, applicants must be registered with the BC Care Aide & Community Health Worker Registry. If you are planning a career as an HCA through studying an HCA program, it is important for students to complete a recognized HCA program so that you can be registered to work as an HCA in BC. Vancouver Career College, as noted above, has a status of full recognition. Visit https://www.cachwr.bc.ca/Home.aspx

Industry Certified

To be eligible to work as a health care assistant (HCA) in any public health care setting in BC, applicants must be registered with the BC Care Aide & Community Health Worker Registry.

Upon graduation from the Health Care Assistant diploma program, you will be eligible for registration with the BC Care Aide & Community Health Worker Registry.

Admissions Requirements

High school graduation or equivalent*OR mature student status
Pass college's admissions test
English 10 or equivalent (see below)

International Student and English Language Proficiency Requirements

Admission to the CDI College Health Care Assistant program is dependent on producing one of the following test scores prior to signing enrolment contracts and documentation.

Grade 10 English	Proof of Completion
College courses (minimum two) in English or applied communications (Internationally educated applicants: must provide evidence of minimum 3 consecutive years of education in a Canadian institution)	Minimum 70% (or ‘C’ grade)
Canadian Adult Achievement Test (CAAT)	Reading comprehension:35/50 Spelling: 23/32
Language Placement Index (LPI)	Minimum 20 individual scores Sentence Structure English Usage Reading Comprehension Essay level 4 (and min. 24/40)
Accuplacer	Grade 10 level or higher: Recommended Cut Scores*: Reading Comprehension: 60 Sentences Skill: 55 Writeplacer: 4
International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic or General Format Test dated and taken within last 2 years at time of admission	6.0 overall Min. 6 speaking, listening Min. 5.5 reading, writing Each minimum score must be met, not just the overall score.
Canadian Language Benchmarks Placement Test (CLBPT) Test dated and taken within last year	Listening: 7 Speaking: 7 Reading: 6 Writing: 6
Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) Internet-based test (iBT) Test dated and taken within two years	76 overall Min. 20 speaking, listening Min. 18 reading, writing
Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP) Academic or General Test Test dated and taken within last year	Listening: 7 Speaking: 7 Reading: 6 Writing: 6
Canadian Academic English Language Assessment (CAEL) Test dated and taken within two years	Band 60 overall; with no section less than 50

**In cases where applicants already hold Canadian English Language Benchmark Assessment for Nurses

(CELBAN) results (testing within the last 2 years), the following minimum scores will be accepted: Speaking 7, Listening 7, Reading 6, Writing 6.**

This program has been approved by the registrar of the Private Training Institutions Branch (PTIB) of the Ministry of Advanced Education, Skills and Training.

This program is 32 weeks in length.