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!

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HCA Certification Benefits

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. 

Why Our Health Care Aide Program?

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!

Maria, a MaKami College Health Care Aide program graduate

It’s a really good experience and I would recommend it to each one of my friends or whoever asks me. I would do it twice if I had the opportunity.

Maria / MaKami HCA Graduate
Mirna, a MaKami College Health Care Aide certificate program graduate

I’m feeling so blessed, HCA is fantastic. When somebody is so sick and you help, and the next day the person says to you, ‘thank you’ or they take your hands to say, ‘thank you’ – it’s awesome. I feel so blessed because I helped, I cared. It’s my passion, it’s my love, it’s everything for me. And MaKami has a fantastic team. I’m now a successful HCA because my teacher’s were strong and they met all of my needs. I say all the time, ‘thank you, thank you, MaKami! Everybody come to MaKami.’ It’s awesome.

Mirna / MaKami HCA Graduate

Receive Additional Heath Care Certifications

In addition to a variety of transferrable skills and clinical placements, you’ll also earn a certification in First Aid during this program.

Fit Testing for N95 Respiratory Masks

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.

Eligibility and Admissions

The following requirements must be met to be eligible for entry into a licensed health care aide program, as outlined by Alberta Health (AH).

  • English 20-1 or 20-2 with a minimum score of 60% achieved or Canadian jurisdiction equivalent;
    or
  • English 30-1 or 30-2 with a minimum of 55% or Canadian jurisdiction equivalent, such as a Canadian High School Equivalency Diploma (General Education Development-test (GED)); or or Canadian Adult Education Credential (CAEC).
  • Deemed equivalent by completion of Next-Generation ACCUPLACER (assessment placement test) reading and writing tests, with a minimum score of 237 in each category. The math test is not required.

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:

  • By presenting a Canadian High School Equivalency Diploma (General Education Development- test (GED)), or
  • By attending high school in Canada. Studies must have been in English at an approved Canadian high school (grades 9, 10, 11, 12) with at least three consecutive years of full-time academic study; or
  • Providing evidence of attending two consecutive years of full-time equivalent post-secondary study in English in a subject other than a HCA program at a Canadian institution; or
  • By completing an Approved ELP Test with the required Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB): A minimum CLB of 7 in each of the 4 language skills (speaking, listening, reading and writing) and not an average of 7.
  • Official test results must be submitted directly to the PSI.

PSIs will accept submissions from any one of the following approved ELP tests:

  1. International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic: 6 (no section score below 5.5);
  2. Test of English as a Foreign Language Internet Based Testing (TOEFL iBT): 71;
  3. Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP) General: 7 (with no section score below 6);
  4. Canadian Language Benchmarks Tests (7 in each strand, not an average of 7);
  5. Duolingo English Test (minimum score of 95); and
  6. Canadian English Language Benchmark Assessment for Nurses (CELBAN): 7 in each area of listening, reading, writing and speaking, not an average of 7);

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:

  • Be able to communicate, research and understand information
  • Know how to use computer to surf web, email
  • Be able to critically evaluate and understand how technology can affect one’s behavior
  • Be able to create, produce content and effectively communicate using email, media, internet

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:

  • Complete the entire HCA program in high school, with clinical placements usually taking place in the summers; or
  • Complete the first half of the program, including the first clinical placement (course 5), which may occur during the summer after grade 12. After high school completion, the student must enroll as a post-secondary student.

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.

Additional Helpful Program Information

Where is the Health Care Aide Program Offered?

MaKami College Edmonton campus in Bonnie Doon Mall

MaKami College Edmonton

Located in the Bonnie Doon Shopping Centre

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MaKami College Calgary campus in Marlborough Mall

MaKami College Calgary

Located in the Marlborough Mall Shopping Centre

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Interested in Health Care Aide at MaKami College?

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