Certificate in Educational Assistant

at NorQuest College - Edmonton Campus Canada

The Interdisciplinary Therapy Assistant diploma program prepares students to work in today's interdisciplinary health care systems. This program will provide students with a strong occupational and physical therapy assistant background, and incorporate essential assistant-level skills in speech language therapy and therapeutic recreation. Equipped with skills in these four rehabilitation disciplines, students will be prepared to meet industry demand and work in various general therapy, rehabilitation, as well as discipline-specific positions. If you enjoy helping people and want a career assisting patients to overcome injuries, or impairments, this diploma program could be for you.

The program delivers theoretical knowledge and hands-on skills using a balance of discipline-specific and interdisciplinary courses.

Program graduates will be prepared to:

• Communicate and collaborate as a valuable member of a client-centred interdisciplinary health-care team
• Assist with effective physical therapy and occupational therapy practice by providing safe and competent care across client populations
• Support other rehabilitation disciplines, including therapeutic recreation and speech-language pathology
• Demonstrate effective professionalism, leadership, and reflective practice skills

Applicants are requested to review the job requirements listed below and assess their ability to fulfill the demands of the therapy assistant occupation. As a therapy assistant, you must be able to:

• Work shifts and weekends
• Be on your feet for extended periods of time
• Use your knees, back, and arms to assist clients
• Lift 30 pounds
• Touch and provide care for clients of all ages, cultures, and genders
• Manage time and resources in a busy work setting
• Communicate and collaborate effectively in a team
• Enjoy working with people

The Educational Assistant program prepares students to work in educational and community settings. The program focuses on diversity and inclusion, training students to support children and youth with a variety of learning needs, and helping them to reach their potential.

By providing inclusive classroom learning and hands-on practicum experience, the program equips graduates with the knowledge, interpersonal, and practical skills to support students both one-on-one and in small group environments.

The program will train students to be an education assistant through inclusive classroom learning and hands-on practicum experience. Graduates will have the knowledge, interpersonal and practical skills to support students both one-on-one and in small group environments.

Practicum/Work Experience

• This program includes a 200-hour practicum and a 45-hour practicum seminar.

NorQuest’s Health Care Aide program is among the largest in Canada and prepares you to be part of a health-care team in a variety of different settings, providing frontline care to clients in need of assistance.

Student Success
Students are more likely to be successful in this program if they:

• Are physically and emotionally able to manage workplace demands
• Have access to a vehicle to travel to complete their practicum
• Have access to a computer and basic computer skills
• Applicants should review the job requirements listed below and assess your ability to fulfill the demands of the health care aide occupation.

As a health care aide, you must be able to:

• Work day, evening, and night shifts any day of the week
• Be on your feet for extended periods of time
• Bend, squat and lift up to 40 pounds to move clients who have minimal body strength
• Function effectively in stressful situations
• Perform all skills independently

The Health Care Aide Workplace Education option is offered throughout Alberta in partnership with health-care employers. Consult your employer if you are interested in this program option.

Practicum/Work Experience
This program includes four practicums totalling 800 hours.

The Early Learning and Child Care diploma program will combine theory with practice to prepare graduates for Child Development Supervisor certifications from Alberta Human Services.

Early learning and child care professionals play an important role in supporting families and promoting healthy growth. Research shows the early years are critical in shaping a child's overall development. The importance of play in how children understand the world around them is embedded throughout this program, and it aligns well with current Canadian curriculum frameworks in early learning and care.

Note: Graduates of NorQuest's Early Learning and Child Care – certificate program or other Early Learning and Child Care certificate programs should apply to the Early Learning and Child Care – diploma (year 2 only) version of the program.

Practicum/Work Experience

• This program includes four practicums totalling 800 hours.

The Community Support Worker program is an eight-month certificate designed to develop fundamental knowledge, skills, and attitudes in students to work with marginalized communities and individuals. Graduates are expected to work at the front line of human-service delivery settings.

The following are some of the agencies and organizations that provide these services:

• Street work organizations
• Group homes
• Emergency shelters
• Settlement agencies
• Cultural organizations
• Child and family service agencies
• Indigenous service agencies
• Cultural societies
• Personal and in-home supports for persons with disabilities
• Services that support older adults

Practicum/Work Experience

• This program includes a 200-hour practicum and a 45-hour practicum seminar.

The Mental Health Recovery Practitioner post-diploma certificate program provides health and human services professionals with the knowledge and skills to work with clients experiencing mental health and concurrent disorders. The program is offered in a flexible combination of online courses and live classroom instruction on evenings and weekends.

The program emphasizes acquisition of applied skills and best practices in direct client care, advocacy, ethics, and work with families and communities. A key component of the program is work in labs and practicum. The program builds upon students’ previous training and experience, and graduates are equipped to meet client and employer needs in a range of relevant settings.

Practicum/Work Experience
This program includes a practicum totalling 120 hours and 15 hours of community service learning.

In this nationally accredited diploma program, you will acquire the knowledge and skills needed to work in this fast-paced and highly respected occupation. This includes dispensing prescriptions, compounding medications, preparing sterile products, and providing patient care.

Student Success
Students are more likely to be successful in this program if they:

• Are detail-oriented
• Have strong arithmetic skills
• Can multi-task and problem-solve effectively
• Have access to a computer with strong computer and typing skills
• Have good written and verbal communication skills
• Have good vision and manual dexterity and can stand and sit for extended periods of time.
• Applicants are requested to review the job requirements listed below and assess their ability to fulfill the demands of the occupation of pharmacy technician.

As a pharmacy technician, you must be able to:

• Work day, evening, and weekend shifts
• Stand and sit for extended periods of time
• Use your knees, back, and arms to move objects that weigh up to 10 kilograms
• Have good manual dexterity and vision, which are essential for some tasks
• Physically and emotionally manage workplace demands
• Function effectively in stressful situations
• Multi-task and problem-solve
• Perform all skills independently
• Work collaboratively with other health-care professionals
• Communicate effectively in written and verbal form with patients, colleagues, and other health care professionals.

Additional Program Details
NorQuest’s pharmacy technician lab provides students with practical, hands-on training in compounding, sterile product preparation, repackaging, inventory management, and dispensing. In the lab, students have the opportunity to use technologies currently employed by those working in the profession, including laminar airflow hoods and Kroll® computer software.

Our state-of-the-art simulation lab prepares students to work collaboratively with other health-care professionals as part of an interdisciplinary team.
For more information on becoming a registered pharmacy technician in the province of Alberta, visit the Alberta College of Pharmacy website.

Practicum/Work Experience
This program includes two practicums totalling 320 hours.

The Health Care Leadership post-diploma certificate program is offered in a student-centred classroom or an online hybrid environment to prepare graduates for leadership roles within a variety of health-care settings.

The program delivers theoretical knowledge and skills assessment related to leadership and management with focuses on: leadership development, cultural sensitivity, communication, organizational behaviour, principles of adult education, business fundamentals, strategic planning, and inter-professional collaboration. Students will acquire advanced leadership skills that will assist them in being recognized as essential contributors to the overall operations of both private and public health organizations.

Learn from experienced health care leaders who know what you need to be successful in modern health workplaces. Mobilize your team, influence your peers, and drive progress for yourself and for your organization.

Establish personal and professional leadership competencies that help you flourish as a leader in health care. Connect with diverse participants and experience NorQuest’s holistic approach to values-driven leadership.

Advance your theoretical knowledge and leadership development skills, focusing on cultural sensitivity, communication, organizational behaviour, strategic planning, inter-professional collaboration, principles of adult education, research, and business essentials. Your new awareness of what’s needed in today’s health care system will allow you to confidently apply for and obtain leadership roles within your chosen health profession or in related fields.

The Therapeutic Recreation certificate program focuses on the knowledge and skills required to plan, implement and evaluate individual or group therapeutic recreation and social activities.
Following successful completion, graduates may continue on to the Therapeutic Recreation – diploma program.
In this program, you will learn how to enhance your clients' quality of life through leisure activities. The program will prepare you to work with a variety of client groups in different care settings.

Both a certificate and diploma are available:
The Certificate year (Year 1) focuses on the knowledge and skills required to plan, implement, and evaluate individual or group therapeutic recreation and social activities. Available through on-campus instruction, hybrid delivery, or online education.
The Diploma year (Year 2) Therapeutic Recreation – diploma focuses on the concepts, theory, and practical experiences related to leadership and critical thinking in order to prepare graduates to work more independently. Available through on-campus instruction, hybrid delivery, or online education.

Student Success
Students are more likely to be successful in this program if they:
Are physically and emotionally able to manage workplace demands.

• Have access to a vehicle to travel to complete their practicum.
• Have access to a computer and basic computer skills
• Applicants are requested to review the job requirements listed below and assess their ability to fulfill the demands of the therapeutic recreation occupation.

Working in therapeutic recreation, you must be able to:

• Work shifts and weekends
• Be on your feet for extended periods of time
• Use your knees, back, and arms to move clients who have minimal body strength
• Be comfortable taking a leadership role in groups of all sizes
• Work with clients of all ages, cultures, and genders
• Function effectively independently, on a team, and in stressful situations
• Demonstrate adaptability and critical thinking skills

This one-year professional certificate program will prepare you to become a leader in the food and beverage industry. Learners will be ready to manage existing establishments or take their first step in launching a business.