Personal Support Worker students pose for a class photo at Herzing College in Ottawa

Updated November, 2020

Looking for a health care career that doesn't require years of training, but allows you to make a huge difference in people's lives? Becoming a personal support worker (PSW) could be your ideal choice.

You can earn a PSW diploma in just 9 months. By the time you graduate, you'll have all the skills needed to get hired at a hospital, long term care facility, or home-care company.

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

Updated January 2021

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.

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 sky-rocket.