Personal support worker

A day in the job

In long-term care or home care you help clients get up and dressed, assist at meals, help with toileting and moving safely, and tell the nurse about any change you notice. It is physical work and often the closest relationship anyone on the team has with a client.

Where you could work: Long-term care, home care, hospitals

How to get there

1. Complete a Personal Support Worker program (Ontario colleges and some school boards offer them)

Ontario schools: Centennial College (opens in a new tab), Algonquin College (opens in a new tab), Fanshawe College (opens in a new tab)

Licence and registration

1. No licence is needed: PSWs are not a regulated profession in Ontario
2. You can register with the Health and Supportive Care Providers Oversight Authority; it is voluntary, but some employers ask for it
3. Employers usually ask for a vulnerable sector check and CPR

Official starting point: Health and Supportive Care Providers Oversight Authority (voluntary) (opens in a new tab)

Trained outside Canada?

PSW work does not need a Canadian licence, so it is a common first job for newcomers. Employers still ask for a PSW certificate or equivalent training.