Become A Health Care Aide, Calgary + Hourly Wage Guide

If you’re interested in a career as a health care aide in Calgary, then we’ve got some key information for you in this post. You’ll want to know, for example, how long it will take to become a health care aide, and how much money you can expect to make. Specifically, our blog focuses on roles in Calgary, Alberta. 

MaKami College’s Health Care Aide course is offered from our Calgary NE Campus. For those interested, we also offer it at our Edmonton campus located in Bonnie Doon Shopping Centre.

Become a Highly Trained Health Care Aide in 10 months

Within a year, you could become a highly trained Health Care Aide with MaKami College. Our course is offered over a 40 week (10 month) period, in a blended format which is a combination of online classes, practical labs and clinical placements. 

This high level of training ensures you’ll get a great mix of practical knowledge and real life experience so you’ll feel confident in your career once you graduate. 

Once you’ve completed the program with MaKami College, you’re then eligible to take the exam to become a Health Care Aide and work in Alberta. 

What are the eligibility requirements?

The requirements for admission to our Health Care Aide program include: 

• English language proficiency – if English is not your first language, then you must meet the English language proficiency requirement. This may include completing high school in Canada, completing a recognized degree or diploma, or a range of other relevant tests. You can find more details about the English language proficiency requirements on our Health Care Aide qualification page.
  
  
• Academic English Language Arts – this can be taken as a pre-admission course with MaKami. For more information about upcoming courses, visit the Continuing Education section of our website.
  
  
• Digital literacy – skills like being able to navigate email and websites.

If you are already working in the industry, you may be eligible for Prior Learning and Assessment Recognition. Please contact a student advisor for more information about this.

What can I earn as a Health Care Aide in Calgary?

The average wage for a Health Care Aide in Alberta ranges from $21 to $27 per hour. Your role might require you to have your own vehicle, or attend multiple workplace sites. In this case, you’d expect a higher hourly wage to accommodate those additional requirements. 

In Calgary, we see roles for Health Care Aides working at one location starting from around $21 per hour. These tend to shift work, including weekends. The salary might go up to $24 per hour depending on experience. Additional skills like speaking a second language can also help increase your hourly rate. 

Learning to become a Health Care Aide at our Calgary campus

Our Calgary NE Campus is located in Northeast Calgary, inside Marlborough Mall. It’s a convenient campus whether you’re driving or using public transit. There’s free parking around the campus and it’s just a 5-minute walk from Marlborough C-train station. 

Want to know more about the student experience? 

Deroll completed the Health Care Aide program and says:

“MaKami is a different kind of school compared to others. The 10-month program is more training than other schools that mostly have a 6-month program. When we are on the field we are much better because we are more equipped with more information and skills in the field.”

Read or watch Derrol’s Student Success Story, or learn more about what it is like to be a Health Care Aid student at MaKami College.

When can I start the Health Care Aide program? 

At MaKami College, we have a strong level of demand for our courses. MaKami offers start dates for our Health Care Aide program in January, March, May, July, September and November.

If you’re wanting to get started as soon as possible, contact a student advisor for more information, or take the pre-approval survey today!