The Legault government’s appeal launched two weeks ago has been heard: 3,364 people have applied for admission to the short-term beneficiary attendant training, according to what the Ministry of Education indicated to the Duty. Quebec wants to train 3,000 to 5,000 by December 2023.
The Ministry of Education specifies that “verifications must be carried out to ensure the eligibility” of these 3364 candidates. “Registration continues until the start of training on August 7,” says one in an email.
The Quebec government is leading an offensive to recruit beneficiary attendants. It offers a $12,000 scholarship to students who take short-term training and agree to work in the health and social services network for a period of six months.
According to Quebec, there are some 11,000 attendants missing in the network, and if nothing is done, this figure could climb to 15,000 or even 20,000 by 2027.
The recruitment campaign aims to “strengthen” the teams of beneficiary attendants who work in CHSLDs and homes for the elderly. During her announcement, the Minister responsible for Seniors, Sonia Bélanger, called out to two groups of potential candidates: young people and retirees. In particular, she pointed out that this profession can be a springboard for becoming a licensed practical nurse or nurse.
This is not the first time that the Legault government has launched short-term training to hire beneficiary attendants in CHSLDs. He did so in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. He then recruited more than 10,000 agents who had taken the short training course. Among them, nearly 8,000 are still in office, according to Quebec.
The 375-hour training will span 12 weeks. About fifty school service centers will offer it. Cohorts will start in August and September.
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