On June 18, Carrefour Options+ and Villa St-Gabriel Villa proudly celebrated the eight Personal Support Worker (PSW) program graduates. These students are the first Living Classroom cohort from the Carrefour Options+ to receive their PSW certification as well as their pin and certificate from the Ontario Long Term Care Association.
The graduation ceremony was held in the Villa St-Gabriel Villa, where students completed throughout the school year, both in class, theoretical and practical hands-on lab and critical practice. The graduating students celebrated this important milestone in the company of family and friends, as well as Villa St-Gabriel Villa and Conseil scolaire catholique Nouvelon dignitaries. Villa St-Gabriel Villa representatives included Ms. Tanya anne Ball, Academic Placement and Partnership Coordinator of St. Joseph's Health Centre; Ms. Cindy Murray, VSGV Administrator;
Ms. Lisa Weiler, Site Director of Care; Mr. David Long, Mission Integration Lead and Site Chaplain, as well many from the site leadership team, residents and staff preceptors. Conseil scolaire catholique Nouvelon dignitaries present included graduate's teacher Ms. Anika Shea; Ms. Jocelyne Leclair, Principal at Carrefour Options+; Ms. Suzanne Lapointe, Interim Principal at Carrefour Options+; Mr. Jhonel Morvan, CSC Nouvelon Superintendent of Education; M. Raymond Joanisse, CSC Nouvelon Trustee; and Monique Aubin-Gagné, CSC Nouvelon Trustee.
With this certification, the new graduates will begin their career as a PSW in various health organizations and/or agencies looking for skilled and compassionate qualified bilingual staff.
Carrefour Options+, CSC Nouvelon's continuing education school, has offered the Personal Support Worker (PSW) program in Sudbury since January 2023. Offered to students 18 years of age and older, this program allows those interested in becoming a PSW to be trained in French in order to provide care to individuals and families in a variety of settings, including long-term residential institutions and community home care agencies. CSC Nouvelon is the second school board to offer this program in French in Ontario.
"While Northern Ontario is experiencing a shortage in health care personnel, Carrefour Options+ and CSC Nouvelon are proud to be able to train caregivers who are well equipped to work in both French and English and able to support families in our region," explains Paul Henry, Director of Education and Secretary-Treasurer of CSC Nouvelon.
The Personal Support Worker (PSW) program will be offered once again in the fall 2024. It is possible to register and obtain more information by contacting Carrefour Options+ at 705-525-0110 or cop@nouvelon.ca. Carrefour Options+ is located at 504 St-Raphaël Street, Sudbury.
