Ministry of Advanced Education
VICTORIA – Aspiring paramedics in British Columbia’s rural communities will get the training they need thanks to $250,000 in new annual government funding for a new Primary Care Paramedic program, Advanced Education Minister Amrik Virk announced recently.
“Our Skills and Training Plan aims to ensure that British Columbians have the right mix of skills, in the right places, at the right time,” said Virk. “This new $250,000 demonstrates that we’re actively addressing student demand for paramedic programs in rural B.C. and are focused on meeting the labour demands of all sectors for these essential skills.”
The new program, due to start in February 2014, will be delivered by the Justice Institute of British Columbia (JIBC). It will provide training for 30 students, organized as two intakes of 15 students in two rural communities each year. It will help to meet current demand for paramedic training and address the growing demand for paramedics in public and private organizations in rural areas. The initial communities to benefit will be Prince George and Cranbrook.
“This new rural paramedic training program will help ensure that we are meeting the growing demand for services while supporting the health of families in rural areas of the province,” said Minister of Health Terry Lake.