Grant: Project Grant

Like many places around the world, the Canadian population is aging and living with increasingly complex health conditions and disabilities that may necessitate support in daily life. At the same time, we are faced with workforce shortages across our health and long-term care systems. In this context, health systems across the country are urgently prioritizing the recruitment, support and retention of health care aides (HCAs)-those who provide hands-on support in home and long-term care. This essential labour force is characterized by exceptionally high turnover, with research documenting as many as 40% of recently graduated HCAs will leave their job within the first year of employment. The period during and immediately following training is a key time for understanding what is happening to HCAs and come up with potential solutions to the dilemma of worker retention. Our team aims to document the life experiences and education-to-work pathways of HCAs to support retention and workforce planning. Our community-engaged team includes representatives from all five public colleges training HCAs in the province of Manitoba. This project will follow HCAs across the province as they enter their training and into their first year of employment. Our project design considers that most HCAs are women and many are new Canadians. In Manitoba, we also have an important segment of Indigenous and Francophone students, and many work in rural settings. We will find out what helps HCA students complete their training, and why some might leave their program early. We will explore where they end up working in their first year, and document why they stay in or leave their jobs. Our team will identify ways that educational institutions, policy makers and employers may develop career advancement opportunities and improve job satisfaction to enhance the recruitment and retention of HCAs across Canada.