A new partnership between Shannex Incorporated and Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC) will give a boost to students, the company and the health-care sector in this province.
The Shannex Pathway to Success Bursary program will provide significant support to eligible students in the Continuing Care program at NSCC $300,000 in total over three years. Approximately 50 students per year will each receive $2,000 toward tuition and related costs.
"We are excited to embark on this innovative sponsorship program with Nova Scotia Community College. Along with financial aid, we will guarantee one year of employment for recipients once they successfully graduate," says Jason Shannon, President & Chief Operating Officer, Shannex Incorporated.
"Assisting and engaging committed students will help us to address a skills shortage in this demanding field. Our clients will benefit from the work of these talented graduates, who will have secured access to the fulfilling careers they are seeking."
Shannon announced the three-year pilot program on April 25 at NSCC's Waterfront Campus, one of 12 locations offering the Continuing Care program across the province. Graduates will be eligible for jobs at Shannex facilities in the Annapolis Valley, Bridgewater, Amherst, Sydney, Colchester and metro Halifax.
The Shannex Pathway to Success Bursary program will see its first student beneficiaries start the one-year Continuing Care program in September 2017. Participants will also complete their student work term with the company, which provides seniors' accommodation, service and care in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Ontario.
"At NSCC, we believe that access to quality education improves the economy and elevates quality of life in Nova Scotia," says NSCC President Don Bureaux. "This program ensures that dedicated students have the means to study continuing care and achieve success in their chosen field, becoming valued members of the workforce and community contributors."
NSCC's Continuing Care program has been growing, with a 48 per cent increase in enrollment in the past five years. In June 2016, 350 students graduated from the program, with another 480 enrolled in September 2016. A follow-up survey of 2015 graduates indicated 95 per cent were employed in this burgeoning field.
Interested students can learn more about requirements and how to apply for this sponsorship program here or by visiting www.nscc.ca/admissions/scholarships_and_bursaries/sponsorship-programs.asp.
Approximately 70 current Continuing Care students are on work placements at Shannex facilities province-wide, honing the skills they've been learning in their NSCC classrooms and labs and preparing for careers as Continuing Care Assistants.
CCAs work in a variety of settings, including community (through home-support agencies), long-term care facilities, and hospitals. They assist and support clients, caring for the individual's home environment, as well as providing meal preparation and select personal-care procedures.
