‘A new generation of health-care professionals’: Coast Mountain College receives funding for health programs

Provincial funding will allow Coast Mountain College to offer more health classes to high school students as part of its dual credit program.

On July 23, the Ministry of Advanced Education, Skills and Training announced $312,952 for Coast Mountain College (CMTN) as a part of a larger program to give northern students more opportunities in health care.

“We are committed to training, recruiting and hiring a new generation of health-care professionals at all levels, including respiratory therapists and critical care nurses, who are vital members of the health-care team,” said Adrian Dix, minister of health, in a media release.

CMTN offers Introduction to Health Practices, and Health Care Assistant courses. Intro to Health is a semester-long course, and Health Care Assistant is a 29-week, full time program. A partnership between school districts and the college means that high school students can take those courses and receive both high school and college credit.

“This funding will enable more students to be able to take health courses, which are in very high demand now, even more than usual,” said Justin Kohlman, CMTN president in an email.

Students and parents are encouraged to talk to a career counselor at their school to find out if they are eligible and what opportunities are available to them.

Several other B.C. institutions received provincial funding to support health related programming, including the Nicola Valley Institute of Technology, College of New Caledonia, Camosun College and North Island College.

The province has spent more than $7 million for health education and training in northern B.C. since 2017.

READ MORE: Less classroom, more computer: Coast Mountain College commits to mostly online learning for school year