New College program keeps students in Yukon for paramedic training
Whitehorse – Yukon emergency medical responders will no longer have to leave their homes for five months at a time to advance their training.
Yukon College has negotiated a program delivery agreement with the Justice Institute of British Columbia (JIBC) to offer a Primary Care Paramedic (PCP) certificate program. Significant financial support for the program is being provided by the Community Development Fund (CDF) and the Education Program Committee of the Volunteer Ambulance Society.
“There is a keen interest from Yukon volunteer emergency medical responders to take this training,” said Doug MacKay, chair of the Education Program Committee of the Volunteer Ambulance Society.
“I have nine people on a waiting list for this course - and two more names have just been added.”
There are 150 volunteers with rural Emergency Medical Services including 91 emergency medical responders across 15 Yukon communities. Up to now, only a handful each year are able to take time away from their jobs and families and be flown out by Yukon government and undergo this intensive training in Alberta.
Dan Anton, chair, Continuing Education and Training at Yukon College, said the first program delivery will be taught by instructors from JIBC, but the CDF support will enable the College to recruit and train a local individual as a JIBC/Yukon College instructor at the same time.
“We are not simply offering this program at the College, we are working to build our capacity also,” said Anton. “This is vital. It will enable us to deliver PCP training on an as-needed basis in Whitehorse, and in the communities.”
Anton believes this will save the territory money over the long-term and increase the number of qualified local applicants when primary care paramedic positions are advertised.
“The JIBC’s PCP program is the only program in BC accredited by the Canadian Medical Association, Conjoint Accreditation Services. This high standard of program certification is recognized regionally, nationally and internationally for providing students the best paramedic education possible,” said JIBC’s Eddy Workhoven, Dean, School of Health Sciences. ”We are pleased to add Yukon College to the list of partners we are working with to deliver this program.”
Primary care paramedic is a growing Emergency Medical Services position across Canada, and is emerging in some remote industrial operations such as mining. This program focuses on the skills required to strengthen decision-making and treatment options when caring for critically ill or injured individuals in a pre-hospital setting.
MacKay said there is currently a six-to-twelve month wait list across Canada for this program. “I know people in Alberta who are looking to travel up here to take it now rather than wait any longer.”
The program’s accreditation and national recognition increases opportunities for Yukon graduates to work anywhere in Canada. The support from the Volunteer Ambulance Society will guarantee two places annually for qualified volunteer EMRs from the communities.
In total there will be six spots available when the first course is offered in December. Application to the program will be available shortly. For more information about the Primary Care Paramedic program call Dan Anton at 668-5258.
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For more information, contact:
Michael Vernon
Communications Coordinator
College Relations
Yukon College
867 668 8786
867 332 4722
mvernon@yukoncollege.yk.ca
Kirsti Wallace
Acting Director
College Relations
Yukon College
867 456 8619
kwallace@yukoncollege.yk.ca