Continuing Care Assistants Graduate from One Journey Program in Antigonish

Twenty participants in the One Journey Continuing Care Assistant program graduate today, July 23. Graduates will now fill positions at nursing homes in Antigonish, Guysborough, and Sherbrooke.

The One Journey: Work and Learn program is an innovative partnership between government departments and industry. Participants develop the necessary skills required to fill identified labour shortages in areas such as health care, trucking and tourism.

"We will continue to show genuine leadership by working with our partners to help connect employers with the skilled employees they require," said Marilyn More, Minister of Labour and Workforce Development. "It's a win-win situation where participants learn or upgrade essential skills while industry meets its current and future labour needs."

An additional 40 continuing care assistants graduated from One Journey programs in New Glasgow and Truro earlier this month.

"Nova Scotians deserve access to good jobs that let them provide for their families. And, Nova Scotians in continuing care facilities deserve to be looked after by well-trained health care professionals," said Community Services Minister Denise Peterson-Rafuse. "Through the One Journey: Work and Learn program, the government is able to keep its promise to provide both -- good, long-term jobs that make life better for families, and better health care for Nova Scotians in need.

"We congratulate this year's graduates and wish them all the best in their future careers."

Over the past two years, One Journey has trained more than 250 continuing care assistants and has a ninety-six per cent employment rate.

Lacey Gillis, 23, is one of today's graduates in Antigonish. She begins her new position at Antigonish and Area Homemakers Service on Monday.

"This has been an amazing experience. I've always wanted to work in the continuing care field and One Journey gave me the chance to learn and work right here in my community," said Ms. Gillis. "The instructors were great and I really liked the mix of classroom and hands-on learning. I would absolutely recommend it to anyone who wants to get started on a challenging and interesting career."

The Antigonish program was a joint initiative supported by Labour and Workforce Development, Community Services, Futureworx, and the RK MacDonald Nursing Home and Homemakers Association.

"The program has been a tremendously positive experience for us in all aspects," said Patricia Foley, director of care at the RK MacDonald Nursing Home in Antigonish. "The partnership has enabled us to recruit highly skilled continuing care assistants who love what they are doing"

Funding for the program comes from the Strategic Training and Transition Fund, a two-year increase in federal funding to the Canada-Nova Scotia Labour Market Agreement that was announced in May 2009.

The Canada-Nova Scotia Labour Market Agreement will transfer an estimated $99 million to Nova Scotia between 2008 and 2014 to help low-skilled workers, individuals who are not eligible for Employment Insurance benefits and groups who are under-represented in the workplace find sustainable employment.