Ontario’s colleges and universities are anticipating more students interested in nursing.
This follows a $35-million announcement from the province to open up more spaces in those programs.
President of Colleges Ontario Linda Franklin says they were already seeing more interest before the pandemic.
“Already, there are wait lists that are full of students wanting to become nurses. And opening up these spaces will help ensure that our province can meet the nursing demand that it has, and allow more students to realize their dream of being nurses,” she explains.
The province is hoping this will help fill vacancies, particularly in long-term care homes.
Officials say applications for nursing programs are up 70 per cent.
Minister of Colleges and Universities Ross Romano says that’s part of the reason the ministry decided to help fund more spaces in existing programs.
“I have all the confidence in the world that our colleges and our universities are going to be able to provide the high-quality education that we need to be able to create those opportunities again for people across our province,” Romano says.
President of the Council of Ontario Universities Steve Orsini is also encouraged by the interest.
“The fact that we’ve seen [that] more and more students have indicated their support and their interest in really helping us cope with the pandemic is really a demonstration of the Ontario spirit,” Orsini emphasizes.
The commitment aims to educate more than 1,100 new practical nurses and 870 new registered nurses.
