P.E.I. will consider return-in-service agreement for resident care workers who receive free tuition
CBC
P.E.I.'s minister of health says he directed staff to consider a significant change to a new health-care training program on the same day the program was announced.
Ernie Hudson announced on Wednesday in the legislature that the Progressive Conservative government would pick up the tuition tab for Canadians who want to train to become resident care workers (RCWs) on P.E.I.
The cost of tuition ranges from $5,900 to $13,000.
But as the program was unveiled, there was no requirement that those students spend any time working in the province. upon graduation.
"That's a lot of money to be giving out without any contract for return-in-service to our P.E.I. health-care system," Liberal MLA Hal Perry said during question period on Thursday.
Registered nurses who receive financial support for their studies from the province "sign their life to Health PEI for two years, and if they leave a day sooner they have to pay it all back," Perry said.
"With no return-in-service agreements, how are we going to ensure our investments stay here in the P.E.I. health-care system?"
"It is a great question," Hudson responded, noting that it had been brought to him the day before, shortly after the announcement was made.
"I'm having that looked into," he said.
CBC News asked a spokesperson in Hudson's department why the new program does not include return-in-service agreements.
The response provided was that "we want these grads to look at both the private and public RCW employment opportunities, so we can't claim them by default for provincial employment."
Both opposition parties have come out in support of the announcement, but both also offered notes for the minister to make it more effective.
Perry also asked Hudson for support to help students, particularly in rural areas, pay for such things as mileage and child care.
The idea for the training program was originally put forward in a motion from the Green Party, sponsored by MLA Michele Beaton.
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