Health Care Aide Certificate Program
Get your health care aide certificate in Edmonton or Calgary to start working in a hospital, supportive care facility, or assisted living housing in under a year!
Get your health care aide certificate in Edmonton or Calgary to start working in a hospital, supportive care facility, or assisted living housing in under a year!
MaKami’s Health Care Aide program allows students to receive their HCA certification in less than a year with a hands-on learning experience that includes clinical placements. Students take health care aide courses in a blended online and on-campus format at either our Calgary or Edmonton campus locations.
Become a competent and confident health care aide in 10 months, with flexibility to work while you study.
Appr. hourly wage for health care aides in Alberta. Join this rewarding field with an HCA certification.
Clinical Placements. Progressive placements offer real-life experience and potential job opportunities once HCA certified.
Ready for a career where you can truly make a difference in someone’s life? Then the Health Care Aide certificate program at MaKami College may be right for you! Our experienced and knowledgeable staff have worked as professionals in the field and can provide hands-on training so you can confidently enter into the health care aide field.
Right now there is a huge demand for health care aides in Alberta, due to the growth in an aging population and the need for health care front line workers. The arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic to Alberta increased the demand for workers. In response, the Government of Alberta has increased pay for certified health care aides who are working in contracted home care agencies in an effort to retain current staff and attract new workers to Alberta’s home care system. In addition, new tuition bursaries offering up to $9,000 are available for health care aide students who started their HCA program after July 1, 2022 and are working in continuing care centres. Learn more about these bursaries.
Health care aides can work in acute care hospitals, assisted living facilities, long-term care and more. Individuals with HCA certification provide important assistance to a wide variety of patients including the elderly and individuals with disabilities who require support and care.
MaKami College’s Health Care Aide certificate program offers the most up-to-date health care aide courses from the Government of Alberta in a blended format. This allows students to learn theory for their health care aide certificate online and complete practical labs and clinical placements in person. Get a job as a health care aide in Alberta immediately and earn as much as $27 an hour!
Our Health Care Aide certificate program follows the 2019 Government of Alberta Provincial Curriculum and is regulated by Alberta Health. The HCA program offers a 40-week (735 hour) curriculum in either Calgary or Edmonton, Alberta in a blended format with theory offered online and practical labs and clinical placements completed in-person. Your training includes a clinical health care aide placement so you can gain the real-life experience needed to succeed after graduation. Our experienced instructors have worked as health professionals in the field, such as licensed practical nurses (LPNs) and registered nurses (RN). They provide cutting-edge health care aide courses so you can confidently work in any setting.
MaKami College’s Health Care Aide certificate program offers an iPad-based curriculum with realistic, interactive materials to help you fully understand how the body works. With the latest iPad you’ll have the ability to translate documents into multiple languages, so even if English is not your first language you still have the potential to be successful!
The purpose of the HCA curriculum is to standardize the education and training of health care aides in Alberta. It is designed to prepare learners for a certification as unregulated health care providers to work in a variety of career settings. The curriculum ensures that students are equipped with the required knowledge and skills to provide safe and effective care. The first provincial HCA curriculum came into effect in 2005 and was refreshed in 2010 with reviews occurring in 2011, 2012, and 2013.
The HCA Provincial Curriculum (2019) was updated to align with the HCA Competency Profile (2018). The HCA Provincial Curriculum (2019) was prepared by a team of individuals with expertise in nursing, education, project management, copyright regulations, document editing, formatting, and curriculum design.
When you finish the Health Care Aide certificate program you will be eligible to take the Provincial exam to become a health care aide in Alberta.
The Alberta government offers two types of bursaries for Health Care Aide (HCA) students who started their HCA program after July 1, 2022 and are working or will be working in a continuing care centre. Learn more about these bursaries.
In addition to a variety of transferrable skills and clinical placements, you’ll also earn a certification in First Aid during this program.
With the continued rapid spread of the Covid-19, MaKami College’s clinical placement partners are creating new policies to ensure the safety of their staff and students while they care for the most vulnerable in our communities. One of the new policies that is becoming more common is the use of N95 masks while caring for clients. In response, MaKami is now arranging N95 Respiratory Masks Fit Testing prior to students going out on clinical placements. Learn more about MaKami’s N95 mask fitting process.
The following requirements must be met to be eligible for entry into a licensed health care aide program, as outlined by Alberta Health (AH).
Notes:
Students who have not met the ELA requirement (i.e., 20-1, 20-2, 30-1, or 30-2 English level) with the minimum grade are subject to completing the Next- Generation ACCUPLACER assessment test. This can include students out of province, out of country, or mature students that have been out of school for a significant length of time.
Candidates where English is a Second Language (ESL) must meet the English Language Proficiency requirement in addition to the Academic English requirement. Equivalencies are as follows:
PSIs will accept submissions from any one of the following approved ELP tests:
Notes
Test Currency: results must have been obtained within two years of the start date of the program. Test Validity: IELTS (Academic) and TOEFL results are valid for two years from the day of testing.
Candidates must possess knowledge of computer/technology tools to be successful in the program. Candidates must:
Dual Credit students may start the HCA program in grade 10 and must meet the ELA requirements by the end of grade 11.
The entry requirements for Dual Credit students is English 10-2 60%, and students must meet English 20-2 to 60% by the end of grade 11 to remain in the program. For schools that will offer the entire HCA program, this is approximately half-way through, after Course 5.
Dual Credit Delivery Options
PSIs in consultation with secondary schools and or school division may choose to have students:
Alberta Health implemented policies and program standards for the HCA program. This includes policies which address transfer credits and the Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR). Please refer to the Government of Alberta HCA Provincial Curriculum and Licensing Policies and the Government of Alberta HCA Provincial Curriculum Program Standards.
Get pre-approved today!