With the aging of Canada’s baby boomers, it is a sure thing that health care work is going to increase. Job security is assured in the medical field and thus a good place to invest your education dollar.

One of the places that adults can get training in health care work is at Robetech Institute. Recently I spent an afternoon with Jean Robles, one of the founders of Robetech College in 1988.

This career college specializes in health care training. They offer the following Diploma programs:

• Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy Assistant
• ECG/Phlebotomy Technician (blood samples)
• Medical Laboratory Technician
• Medical Office Assistant
• Live-in Caregiver/Personal Support Worker.

Students of the Medical Laboratory Technician program are eligible to write certification exams for the Ontario Society of Medical Technologists and the Canadian Society of Medical Laboratory Science.

Robetech has a review program for these exams which is offered on-line. Robetech Institute is a registered career college with the Ontario Ministry of Training Colleges and Universities and a member of the Ontario Association of Career Colleges. Career colleges have continuous intake so you do not have to wait for term or yearly start dates; they have flexible schedules to accommodate students with child care or part-time work commitments, and they have small class sizes so you get individual hands-on attention from the instructors.

Graduates work in hospitals, private clinics, home health care, long term care facilities, insurance companies, medical labs, medical research labs, sports and fitness centres, doctor’s offices, recreation centres, physiotherapy clinics, Canadian Blood Services, and other health-related organizations. Robetech has career services that help graduates with resumes, job search and interview techniques.

Tuition at career colleges is more than at the community colleges because career colleges do not receive government funding as community colleges do. To help students with tuition costs, there is financial assistance for those who qualify including Second Career funding. Ask Robetech what assistance you might qualify for. They also have installment payment plans.

Internationally Trained Medical Professionals

For newcomers with medical training, Robetech offers advanced standing programs in most of these programs. Robetech has an approved Prior Learning Assessment Process that grants students credit for what they already know, so they can complete these programs as soon as possible. More important, they can use this training to get working as soon as possible. Robetech has extensive knowledge of the overseas colleges in the Philippines and India and other countries from their Prior Learning assessment experience, and so they can readily understand the prior training of many newcomers.

Classrooms simulate work settings

Jean gave me a tour of Robetech classrooms. Classrooms—not quite the right word—are set up exactly like the medical setting where a student would be working in the future: physiotherapy rooms, a medical office reception area, labs equipped with medical testing machines, computer programs and equipment the students would use in the field. Robetech wants all students to walk through their teaching areas before they commit to taking classes. They are proud of their facilities.

Canadian Work Experience.

Students are placed with employers, so work experience is part of the training program. Jean leafed through the employer’s evaluations of students with me. The following comments from employer evaluation will be invaluable to students when looking for work. Some comments that caught my eye were

• “She was very helpful to our busy location… and well be a real asset to any organization.”
• “ Her customer service skills are excellent..”
• “…her vein-puncture technique was exceptional.”

The students have good references from employers along with their training.

Clear Language Teaching Materials.

Leafing through the evaluation of Robetech students one comment really caught my eye “course material clear and to the point” Quite often incomprehensible medical jargon is the norm. To know that the course material is clear and to the point would encourage one to dig in and learn.

Check out Robetech’s training in the health care field at www.robetech.com. Or call 416-466-6107. Or drop in visit at 150 Laird Drive, Toronto.