MELFORT — Suncrest College is hoping to help alleviate some of the health staffing challenges in the region with its revamped Continuing Care Assistant (CCA) program, located in Melfort.
The new program, which will begin August 2025, will see students spend three days in a classroom per week. This will allow students time to find employment and earn while they learn.
This program will create new pathways for students to secure employment with the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA). Currently, students can work with SHA while they study in the CCA program. However, program scheduling often prevents working students from completing the CCA program within a year.
This initiative seeks to remove that obstacle.
Brady Lang, spokesperson for Suncrest College said, “The Saskatchewan government’s action plan to recruit, train, incentivize, and retain health professionals includes increasing the number of Continuing Care Assistant positions in the province. This initiative aims to address the growing demand for healthcare workers, particularly in long-term care and home care services, ensuring better support for patients and communities.”
Suncrest College typically runs two to three full-time cohorts per year as well as part-time cohorts. “Last year we had over 50 students graduate from the program, contributing significantly to Saskatchewan's healthcare workforce,” Lang said.
The new format of the Continuing Care Assistant (CCA) program will be offered at the Melfort campus. The regular full-time program runs at the Yorkton campus, while part-time courses are available at the Canora, Fort Qu’Appelle, and Melfort campuses.
"At Suncrest College, we are dedicated to supporting our industries and creating opportunities for our students. This program is designed to make education more accessible and help students build successful careers in healthcare," said Teri Thompson, Vice President of Academics and Learner Engagement at Suncrest College.
Looking to the future, additional recruits will be needed in long-term care homes, home care and acute care facilities. Graduates from the program will also grow with SHA with these types of opportunities.
“Student opportunities like this are vital to addressing the regional needs of the SHA by providing education and staffing supports. Responsive programming allows us to ensure students are supporting the workforce needs of our communities,” said Thompson.
Applications are currently being accepted and the course will run from August 2025 to June 2026.
