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Nurse accompanying a senior person

Health Career Access Program (HCAP)

Earn while you learn through HCAP - 100% Employer Paid Education and Training

​​​The Health Career Access Program (HCAP) is an initiative announced by the B.C. Ministry of Health in September 2020 which offers participants the opportunity to become future Health Care Assistants (HCAs) or Community Health Workers (CHWs) through paid education and on-the-job training (Health Care Support Worker - HCSW). This initiative supports the increased need for additional staff in long-term care, assisted living and home and community care settings.

Health Care Support Worker (HCSW)

HCAP allows participants to work in a non-direct, non-clinical patient care role before becoming registered health care assistants under supervision of registered nurses or other regulated health care professionals.

Participants in the program walk through two stages:

  1. Work as a Health Care Support Worker (HCSW) while attending post-secondary education to attain a Health Care Assistant (HCA) certification

    • Typical duties of HCSW include but not limited to

      • Participating as an integral member of a healthcare delivery team
      • Establishing a caring relationship with clients, residents and families
      • Providing support and assistance with mealtime activities
      • Providing support and assistance in carrying out activities
      • Performing housekeeping duties
      • Greeting and directing visitors
      • Restocking supplies
      • Completing and maintaining relevant records
  2. Returning one year of service as a registered care aide or community health worker in the setting they were hired to​​​​​​​

A day in the life: long-term care or assisted living

Watch this video if you are interested in working in a VCH long-term care or assisted living setting.

BC Health Care Assistants

A snippet of the day-to-day role of a health care aide (HCA) in a long-term care home/assisted living site

A day in the life: home support

Watch this video if you are interested in working in a VCH home support setting.

VCH Community Health Workers: Caring for our Communities

A snippet of the day-to-day role of a community health worker (CHW) in the community

HCAP application process

This program is provided in partnership with the Ministry of Health – if you are interested in working for a private employer or a different health authority, please refer to the Ministry of Health HCAP Portal here.

Contact us

For recruitment questions, please contact hcap@vch.ca