How to become a health care assistant in BC

The road in one paragraph

Becoming a health care assistant in British Columbia is one of the fastest routes into health care. The certificate takes about six to eight months of full-time study. Before you start you need to show your English level, hold first aid with CPR, complete an immunization review and pass a vulnerable sector criminal record check. Then you enrol in a Health Care Assistant program recognized by the BC Care Aide and Community Health Worker Registry.

The program mixes classes, lab practice and placements in assisted living and long-term care. You learn personal care, infection control, safe lifting, dementia care and how to talk with people who are frail or confused. There is no licensing exam. After graduating from a recognized program you register with the Registry, and then you can work in hospitals, care homes, hospices and home support.

Getting in

Entry rules are set by the Registry and applied by every recognized school. The main academic rule is English: Grade 10 English or an approved English test if you were schooled in another language. Schools in our directory include Vancouver Community College, Douglas College, Camosun College, Coast Mountain College, College of the Rockies, North Island College, Selkirk College and a number of private colleges. Every school on this page is on the Registry's recognized list.

What it costs and what it pays

Tuition in our directory, from each school's own page: Coast Mountain College $2,237.06, College of the Rockies $2,485.35, Selkirk College $3,025, North Island College $3,470, Cambria College $9,203, Heritage College $9,500 and Edison College $11,920. Tuition for the other schools we list is Not published. Registering with the Registry is free for graduates of recognized British Columbia programs.

Pay comes from WorkBC data for nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates. The median wage is $27.89 per hour. Entry-level pay is around $22.37 per hour and experienced workers earn around $29.83 per hour. WorkBC lists average annual pay of $49,756 and forecasts 22,990 job openings in British Columbia between 2025 and 2035, one of the highest of any job in the province.

Common mistakes and shortcuts

• Picking a school that is not on the Registry list. Graduates of unrecognized programs cannot register and cannot work in public health care. (Source: BC Care Aide and Community Health Worker Registry)
• Leaving the English test to the last minute. If you were schooled outside Canada, book the approved English test early. It is the most common reason applications stall. (Source: BC Care Aide and Community Health Worker Registry)
• Paying when the province would pay. The Health Career Access Program hires people as health care support workers, pays them while they train, and covers tuition. (Source: Government of British Columbia)
• Not using the job as a step. Time as a health care assistant strengthens a later application to practical nursing or a nursing degree. (Source: BC Care Aide and Community Health Worker Registry)