With her background as a mental health nurse and a teacher, Sandra Briar created an opportunity to capture the interest of students in health care at an early stage. She launched a unique program at Montcalm Secondary School (MSS) in London, ON that allows students to obtain their PSW certification while working on their OSSD.
“It’s a wonderful opportunity to support students who may not have considered PSW at the high school level to obtain gainful employment along with their OSSD,” Sandra shares. “We even have students coming from other schools with interest in our program.”
This fall, Sandra expects to have about 15 students enrolled for training. By reaching out to young students in Grades 10, 11 or 12, she provides them with a pathway to obtain credits that are aligned with the PSW training, as well as other relevant training such as CPR/FA, GPA and P.I.E.C.E.S. She also advises those interested in other health care careers on the credits they need for post-secondary training.
The MSS program has partnered with London Health Science Centre for placements once students turn 18 and can obtain a Vulnerable Sector Check.
Congratulations Sandra on putting together this innovative program! Please check out this CBC News article link about the program.
If you would like to reach out to Sandra, please email her at sbriars@tvdsb.ca