Updated January 2023

The vast majority of personal support workers (PSWs) in Ontario work with seniors. In fact, it's our rapidly aging population that is driving such a strong demand for PSWs across the province. The Government of Canada Job Bank predicts excellent employment opportunities for personal support workers right across Ontario.

Personal support workers play (and will continue to play) an absolutely vital role in helping Canadian seniors maintain independence and quality of life as they age.

Whether you open your own paralegal practice or work under a supervising attorney, conducting client interviews will be a key part of your paralegal career.

Solid interviewing skills are crucial for several reasons. The way you prepare for and conduct each interview influences the quality of information you gather, the trust you instill in clients—and even the likelihood of earning good recommendations and referrals.

Updated January 2023

Personal support workers play a central role in the lives of their clients. They provide the assistance patients need to maintain independence, cope with debilitating medical conditions, and achieve the highest possible quality of life.

PSWs help with important everyday tasks, like administering medication, providing assistance with grooming, planning and preparing healthy meals, coordinating social activities, monitoring changes in condition, and supervising prescribed therapeutic exercises.

The PSW-patient relationship is, by definition, close and personal. And as with all close relationships, conflicts can arise.

How should PSWs deal with patients who push them away or resist help? How can you maintain professionalism and serve your client's best interests, when faced with disruptive and upsetting behavior? 

Start with these five steps. These are the approaches front-line health care providers often use when dealing with difficult patients.

Updated January 2023

Death and dying are everyday realities for personal support workers. Many PSWs care for seniors in their homes, or in long-term care facilities, where an estimated 20 per cent of residents pass away each year.  

PSWs often provide end-of-life care, where they specialize in helping clients (and their families) with life's final transition. But despite all of this direct experience, personal support workers still struggle with loss when a client dies.

Updated January 2023

Naturally drawn to working in an office environment? Feel you would do well in a structured setting where organizational, communication, customer service, and teamwork skills are highly valued?

Let's say you're also interested in a career where you can help others and feel that you're actually contributing something positive to your community. If you're pulled in this direction, it's quite possible that you're torn between a medical office and business office admin program.

After all, these work settings (and training paths) have quite a lot in common. Which one will ultimately suit you best and be most rewarding?

Updated January, 2021

Know you want to pursue a legal career, but can't decide between paralegal and legal assistant training?

If you live in Ontario, there are several important differences between these two legal careers. In this post, we cover four of the most significant distinctions: training requirements, typical responsibilities at work, career options, and provincial licensing rules. 

After exploring what sets these two professions apart, we hope students will have a clearer sense of which path suits them best.

Updated January 2023

Enrolled in PSW training and nearing the end of your diploma? It's likely you're looking ahead to your employment options after graduation, and for support systems to help get your career rolling.

If you live in Ontario, you've probably heard of the Ontario Personal Support Worker Association—OPSWA.  It's an organization new grads and experienced PSWs can join to get professional support, and push for greater recognition for PSWs across the province.

But what exactly does OPSWA do, how might you benefit from joining the network, and what does it take to get a membership?

Updated October 2022

Paralegals in Ontario enjoy a broader scope of practice than their peers in other provinces.

They are allowed to represent clients in small claims court and before various administrative tribunals—and often set up private practices that specialize in certain areas of the law (such as landlord-tenant disputes, immigration services, and disability appeals).

In order to regulate the expanding paralegal profession, and maintain high standards of professional practice, the Law Society of Ontario requires all would-be paralegals to complete a rigorous licensing process.

What exactly does this process entail? Here are five facts students should know about preparing for and successfully earning a paralegal license.

Updated November 2022

Prospective employers want to learn a number of things about you during a business admin job interview.

They'll be considering your personality and how you'd fit with the team, your technical skills, your experience in similar roles, your trustworthiness, and of course, the "soft" skills that are so important in business admin—communication, organization, problem solving, etc.

How will they get to the heart of your qualifications and overall suitability for the job? By asking questions. A lot of questions!

Updated November 2022

One of the first questions students ask when considering a college program is, "What kinds of jobs can I get with this diploma?" Since many people pursue college training to launch a new career or improve their current prospects, this question is both valid and necessary.

Genuine interest in a program of study is key, but only part of the equation. It's crucial for people to map out where a diploma will take them post-study, and how they'll make the often challenging transition from student to professional.