A new beneficiary attendant training with a $12,000 scholarship and a promise of employment at the end of the program was announced on Tuesday by the Legault government.
At a press conference in Montreal, Christian Dubé, Minister of Health and Social Services, explained that this announcement is similar to that which was made during the pandemic.
“It is an appeal that is made to Quebecers who wish to play an important role and contribute to improving the supply of care,” he said.
Mr. Dubé explained that there is currently a shortage of 11,000 beneficiary attendants and Quebec estimates that this figure could rise to 20,000 in 2027.
The training announced on Tuesday will last 375 hours spread over 12 weeks, starting in August or September (your choice). It will be offered in some 50 school service centers in Quebec, in vocational training and will conclude with an attestation of vocational studies.
Bernard Drainville, Minister of Education, pledged “to deliver these 3,000 to 5,000 new beneficiary attendants by December 2023”.
Sonia Bélanger, Minister responsible for Seniors, acknowledged that the target “is ambitious, but important”, and she invited young people and retirees in good shape to take an interest in this new training.
“Fit retirees who want to work can make all the difference,” she said.
During the pandemic, similar training – for which the scholarship was less generous – had made it possible to recruit 10,000 students, among whom 8,000 beneficiary attendants are still in the network, said Mr. Dubé.
The $12,000 scholarship will be awarded in increments of $4,000: the first will be awarded after three weeks of training, another after six weeks and the last at the end of the program.