A few weeks ago, a mobile building was moved into the parking lot of the Battle River Innovation Centre (BRIC) in Castor, causing a stir in the community.
People have wondered what the purpose was of the building; it can now be reported that the building is a medical training classroom for the NorQuest College Health Care Aide program.
The program is running in Castor in a joint partnership between NorQuest College and Paintearth Adult Learning with support from both the Town of Castor and the County of Paintearth.
According to Kaye Hauck, the program manager for Paintearth Adult Learning, the program began on Oct. 1, 2023, and is scheduled to end in July.
While some attrition in student numbers has occurred, six students are anticipated to complete the 10-month certification program.
A bonus to the program is that two local nurses, Marilyn Weber and Paula Doolaege, have joined it to help guide the students through their clinical placements.
“They will be doing a clinical in February,” said Hauck.
“And a longer clinical towards the end of the program.”
This program was brought to the region thanks to Jennifer Mah, the Dean of Health Studies at NorQuest College. Mah grew up in Castor and still has family in the community.
“NorQuest College is focused on supporting the education and health needs of rural Alberta. Offering the Health Care Aide Program in Castor allows people who are invested in the growth and success of the area to gain the skills they need to contribute to the local health system,” said Mah, in an email statement.
“It is an exciting initiative, but it wouldn’t have been possible without the collaboration and support from Paintearth County, the Town of Castor, and Paintearth Adult Learning; they were instrumental to the success of this initiative.”
Another bonus for the program has been a bursary program administered by NorQuest but provided by the province.
The program reimburses $9,000 of the $10,000 program cost for successful students.
“That’s huge for us,” said Hauck.
Stan Schulmeister, reeve of Paintearth County, is pleased that the cooperation was able to bring the project to fruition.
“It’s one of the best things we have seen in a long time,” said Schulmeister.
“It’s a win … I hope it continues.”
Castor Mayor Richard Elhard agreed with his rural counterpart.
“We’re certainly pumped to have this NorQuest College in Castor,” said Elhard.
“It’s an absolute bonus … Our hope is that they can offer more advanced classes.”
According to Hauck, discussions are already underway about running a practical nurse program, and other possibilities include some trade courses and possibly even a veterinary technician course.
One of the draws to get these programs into the region, according to Hauck, is the cost of housing.
By getting these programs into the rural areas, the students can take their education close to home.
“Housing in the city is so expensive,” said Hauck.
One of the hopes for getting programs like this into the rural areas is to retain the students in the area upon graduation.
“This is something that has been needed for a long time,” said Elhard.
“There’s been a deficit in trades training out in this part of the world.”
For its part, Paintearth Adult Learning had a positive response to the program, managing to recruit for the Health Care Aide course when other larger centers could not.
The program is delivered through a mix of in-person and online learning, with students only required to be in-person for lab days at the BRIC classroom.
