Fleming College

Program Highlights

As a graduate of the Personal Support Worker program, you will provide support services to individuals and families in need of assistance. With this satisfying, people-focused career, you will be prepared to assist children, adults, and seniors with special needs or disabilities, and help them maximize their life experience. You can start the program in September or January or May.

This two-semester Personal Support Worker program may particularly appeal to those re-entering the workforce. In total, you'll get approximately 400 hours of relevant theory and approximately 300 hours of real-life, clinical training. The focus of this program is on:

• lab components throughout both semesters
• hands-on, task-oriented skills and practice time
• course content related to long term care and to community care to diversify your experience
• innovative new lab facilities that simulate the work environment
• more theory related to practice

Why Choose Fleming

The College ensures the program follows ministry guidelines, and as such, the program is widely recognized by agencies and related employers. There's a consistently high, over 90 per cent employment rate for graduates of this program -- you might be hired before you finish the course.

"The course load, teachers and curriculum exceeded my expectations. I was challenged by some of the curriculum, which I greatly enjoyed. I also felt like I belonged. I completed 180 placement hours, and it was as if my textbook was coming to life. The placements were absolutely educational and equipped us for the actual job."

Lindsay Barr, Program Graduate

St. Joseph's at Fleming

St. Joseph's at Fleming is the first long-term care facility built on a college or university campus. Students from more than 20 programs participate in clinical field practice, applied research, and volunteer initiatives within or associated with the facility, located on the Peterborough campus.

Personal Support Worker Bridge to Practical Nursing

Fleming College now offers a bridge program for Personal Support Worker (PSW) graduates to meet admission requirements for entry to the Practical Nursing program:

• To be eligible for the bridge program, you must present an official transcript indicating that you are a Personal Support Worker graduate
• After successfully completing the required part-time courses, PSWs will be eligible to enter into the next available second semester of our full-time Practical Nursing program

The bridge program for PSWs who graduated with an Ontario College Certificate in or after 2006 is generally 2 courses. For all other PSW graduates, the bridge program is typically 5 or 6 courses. Your application will be assessed to determine which bridge courses you need and if you are eligible for any exemptions.

See the Personal Support Worker Bridge to Practical Nursing page for more information.

Is this You?

You have a desire to work with and care for people of all ages to assist them to attain their physical, emotional, mental and spiritual needs. The following personality traits and skills would also be an asset in your studies and eventual career:

Volunteer work experience of any kind is an asset, as is any previous experience caring for people of differing needs and abilities. Students would benefit by having basic computer skills including e-mail, word processing, file management and web browsing.

Career Opportunities

Choose from a variety of work settings:

Indigenous Perspectives Designation

The Indigenous Perspectives Designation (IPD) is an option available to students studying in the Personal Support Worker program. To qualify for the IPD, students must take and successfully complete GNED49 - Introduction to Indigenous Studies and GNED128 - Indigenous Knowledges, along with a minimum of four approved co-curricular Indigenous events or experiences that will be incorporated into the final portfolio assignment in GNED128. The student’s transcript will indicate the IPD designation. Upon graduation, students with an IPD will have a strong foundational basis in Indigenous Studies, and a designation that will be marketable in the employment sector.

Related Programs

If you want to work with people to maximize their quality of life, you might also want to consider either the Developmental Services Worker, Practical Nursing, or Occupational Therapist Assistant/Physiotherapist Assistant programs.

Health and Non Academic Requirements

Non Academic Requirements

Your program has mandatory requirements which may include a criminal reference check, first aid, CPR-C, etc. For more information, please see the Non Academic Requirements page.

Failure to provide any of the required Non Academic Field Requirements by the specified due date will result in an inability to participate in the mandatory placement components of the program.

Tuition and Fees Detail

Tuition and ancillary fees are subject to change without notice. The fees presented below reflect Fall start programs only for the current academic year. For details about the fee differences for other program start dates please refer to the Tuition and Fees Details Chart below.