How Do I Become A Health Care Aide And How Much Will I Make in Edmonton?

Interested in a career as a health care aide? Some of the important information you’ll need to know when looking into this job is 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 Edmonton, Alberta.

MaKami College’s Health Care Aide course is offered from our Bonnie Doon campus in Edmonton (as well as our Calgary campus).

Become Health Care Aide trained in under one year

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

You’ll get 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 in Canada 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 Edmonton?

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 multi-sites. In this case, you’d expect a higher hourly wage to accommodate those additional requirements.

In Edmonton, 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 Bonnie Doon campus

Our campus in Edmonton is within Bonnie Doon Mall, making it a convenient learning hub for students. It has free parking and is easily accessible by public transit including bus.

The Shopping Center has over 100 stores and a food court.

Want to know more about the student experience?

Avelina completed the Health Care Aide program and says:

“​​The instructors at MaKami are very supportive… the instructors and support staff were always there to help us stay on track and help us and guide us every time we needed them.”

Read more stories from our Health Care Aide graduates on our blog.

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!