Health Career Access Program

The Health Career Access Program (HCAP) is a paid training opportunity for individuals interested in starting a career in health care. Upon hire, participants immediately begin their paid training as a Health Care Assistant at a participating post-secondary institution:

• Nicola Valley Institute of Technology 
• Selkirk College 
• College of the Rockies 
• Okanagan College 
• Thompson Rivers University 
• Sprott Shaw College  

HCAP typically consists of six to eight months of full-time study. After completing their training, participants return to their Interior Health work site to complete paid orientation and commence paid work as a Health Care Assistant, fulfilling a 12-month return of service commitment in exchange for the funding they received.

Participant Onboarding

On their first day, participants attend an information session to meet the HCAP team and learn about their HCAP journey. Previous HCAP participants may have completed a brief Job Shadow at their worksite, learning about healthcare roles before beginning school.

Post-Secondary Institution

Participants attend a Post Secondary Institution to earn their certificate.

Transition to Practice

When HCA stream participants complete school, they must apply to the BC Care Aide Registry. It takes about 2 weeks to receive their registration number. During this time, they will receive support for their transition to HCA practice.

MHSU stream participants transition to practice by applying to IH job postings.

Return of Service (ROS)

Participants work for Interior Health for 12 months in their new role.

For acceptance into the HCAP, candidates must meet all of the following requirements: 

• If English is your first language you must have successfully completed English 10 or equivalency 
• If English is not your first language, you must have a valid English competency test completed within the last 2 years, and your results must match the requirement of the educational program 
• Be a Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident 
• Clear a Criminal Record Check with the BC Ministry of Health 
• Hold a valid BC Class 5 or 7N Driver’s License  

Interior Health hires into HCAP seats alongside post-secondary program intake dates. Typically, the majority of hiring takes place late spring with fall start dates with some additional hiring in the fall for spring start dates. If a posting isn’t available when you click “Apply Now” we encourage you to check back again. You can also create your profile (if you haven’t already) and set up a job alert to be notified when the posting is available. 

Interior Health hires into HCAP seats alongside post-secondary program intake dates. Typically, the majority of hiring takes place late spring with fall start dates with some additional hiring in the fall for spring start dates. If a posting isn’t available when you click “Apply Now” we encourage you to check back again. You can also create your profile (if you haven’t already) and set up a job alert to be notified when the posting is available. 

Apply Now

For more information on HCAP, visit: 

• Work in health care 

• Choose to Care Website 

Only those who have NOT completed a Health Care Assistant certificate course are eligible for this Program. If you have previously completed a Health Care Assistant certification, please reach out to BC Care Aide & Community Health Worker Registry for more information on BC registration.