Herzing Blog

Photo: Personal Support Worker students pose for a class picture at Herzing College (2019)

Updated December 2024

What's inspiring you to become a personal support worker (PSW)? In our experience working with PSW students, there's usually a couple of key reasons people gravitate toward this career.

One is the high demand for PSWs in Ontario and throughout many parts of Canada. If you're looking for a stable health care career, this is an excellent choice. Our aging population is expected to continue creating jobs for PSWs well into the future.

Another top motivator is the one-to-one time personal support workers get to spend with clients. If you're looking for more than "just a job" and want to make a real connection with people, PSW is the obvious choice.

But, like all careers, becoming a personal support worker comes with certain challenges. What should you know before you invest in training, and start down this path?

Take a look at the most common pros and cons of working as a personal support worker, and see if this role is right for you.

Photo: Herzing graduate Sheri Richard in her Health Care Aide uniform at Extendicare Oakview Place in Winnipeg

It's always really exciting to catch up with Herzing grads and see how much their lives have changed since finishing school and starting a brand new career.

Health care aide graduate Sheri Richard is a great example. She switched career paths later in life, when she could no longer find work in her field and needed a new direction.

Sheri knew she wanted to help people, so she started looking around for quick training options. A five-month health care aide diploma was an ideal fit.

And even though she has three children and a very busy schedule, Sheri took the leap and started the program. Turns out, it was the best decision she ever made.

Here's what she told us about heading back to school, starting her health care aide career, and where she's working now.

Updated December 2024

A career in community services is one of the most effective ways to make a real difference in your local neighborhood.

If you're looking for meaningful work—a job where you will truly help people—this is the path for you. Community services workers (CSWs) play an important role in making our society safer, fairer, and more prosperous for everyone.

Susan Zirk in her health care aide scrubs, in Selkirk, Manitoba.

Are you considering becoming a health care aide, and wondering if you'd be a good fit for the role?

Looking to switch jobs, but don't want to spend years re-training? You're definitely not alone.

Susan Zirk was working a high-pressure finance job when she started looking around for other options. She wanted to do something with more meaning - work that actually helps people and feels rewarding.

Finally, she took the plunge and signed up for Health Care Aide training at Herzing College Winnipeg.

Now she's living a completely different life, working for a home-care company that helps seniors live safely and independently in their own residences.

We checked in with Susan this week to see how her new career is going and learn more about her experience becoming a health care aide. Read on for the highlights!

Herzing Health Care Aide students pose for a photo 

Are you considering becoming a health care aide (HCA)? Wondering what's involved in training, and whether you'd be a good fit for this career?

There's no one better to talk to than Nancy Scott, RN. Nancy has been teaching full-time for 20 years, and actually helped develop the Health Care Aide Program at Herzing College in Winnipeg.

She started as a health care aide herself, and has brought years of experience, dedication, and passion to the program. In fact, it's because of Nancy's commitment to excellence that Herzing now offers the most comprehensive, cutting-edge health care aide training in Winnipeg.

Updated December 2023

What exactly qualifies as "life skills"? For many of us, these are abilities we start learning as children and build on as we enter adulthood and become increasingly independent.

We're talking about things like landing a job, managing your finances, keeping yourself healthy, and building good social relationships. Aside from a few bumps here and there, we tend to develop these skills naturally, over time.

Updated December 2023

Helping survivors of family violence is a life mission and true calling for many community support workers (CSWs). The programs and services they deliver at emergency shelters and youth organizations give hope to thousands of people across Canada.

Updated December 2023

Working with disadvantaged and endangered children is truly a special calling. At-risk youth are one of the most vulnerable populations in our society.

Children facing trauma and crisis require skilled advocates—professionals who are trained to offer protection, support, and services that are specially designed to protect their safety, and create long-term solutions for health and wellbeing.

Interested in becoming a child and youth worker in Canada? Are you considering community services worker (CSW) training to specialize in this branch of social services?

Take a few moments to explore exactly what a child/youth worker is, the responsibilities you'd have in this role, and the skills and training you'll need to get started.

By the end of this post, you'll have a clearer idea of whether this career is right for you, and which steps to take next.

Updated December 2024

We've all heard the news and read the stats. Canada's health care system is stretched to the limit. We don't have enough long-term care beds, there aren't enough medical professionals, and we don't know how we'll care for our growing population of seniors.

It's no surprise that in the middle of this challenge, we've seen demand for personal support workers skyrocket.

Updated December 2023

Community services workers (CSWs) help people dealing with serious personal and social problems. But this career is about so much more than that.

CSWs work with some of the most neglected, forgotten, and stigmatized people in our society.

From teens dealing with addiction, to homeless populations, to battered women, to ex-offenders: community services workers are trained to offer compassionate, practical, hands-on support where it's needed most.

There is no doubt that this work is challenging. But it's also incredibly rewarding and inspiring. Right on the front-lines of our neighbourhoods, CSWs literally change and save lives on a daily basis.

Looking for a career where you can really make a difference? Read on to discover four powerful ways you can transform your community, one person at a time, as a CSW.