Personal Support Worker (PSW) Certificate Program

Learn from experienced instructors who deliver both classroom-based healthcare theory and hands-on practical training through clinical practicum and co-operative education placements.

This PSW program is offered in partnership with the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Long-Term Care to help address the provincial PSW shortage and ensure employers across the healthcare sector value your training.

Offered at a significantly lower cost than comparable programs. There is a $300 non-refundable application fee and $2,500 program fee. For the February 2026 cohort, $2,000 of the $2,500 program fee is covered by the Ministry of Education. Future intakes will be $2,500.

Gain secondary school credits that can count toward high school completion or help boost your transcript for future post-secondary opportunities. No OSSD is required to start the program.

Complete your clinical hours in the community through partnerships with long-term care homes, assisted living residences, group homes and community health organizations, giving you real-world experience and workplace readiness.

PSWs are in high demand across Ontario. Graduates of this program are well-prepared for the workforce and often secure employment quickly after certification due to the recognized training, practical experience and ongoing need for qualified PSWs.

An information session was held on Dec. 17, 2025 for interested applicants. View the slideshow shared during the information session. 

Admission Requirements

No high school diploma (Ontario Secondary School Diploma – OSSD) is required to take the PSW Program.  As part of the PSW Certificate program at the HDSB, students can earn up to six (6) elective secondary school credits and they will be added to your high school transcript. These successful credit completions can either lead toward earning a high school diploma or improvement of overall average which is helpful when applying for post-secondary.

Age Requirements

For students to attend the PSW Program, they must be 18 years of age or older on the first day that classes begin.

Identification Requirements

1. Proof of Status in Canada (any one of the following):

• Permanent Resident Card

• Refugee Papers 

• Status Card 

• Canadian Birth Certificate and Photo 

• Canadian Citizenship Card or Certificate and Photo ID

• Canadian Passport

2. Proof of Date of Birth (any one of the following):

• Birth Certificate

• Passport

• Immigration Papers

• Canadian Citizenship Documents

• Baptismal/Faith Record

• Permanent Resident Card

• Refugee Documents

3. Photo ID (to accompany any documents listed above without a photo, we cannot accept a Health Card)

4. High School Transcript, Graduation Credit Summary, and/or Canadian Language Benchmarks

5. Proof of Ontario Residency (any two of the following): we cannot accept a Driver’s License but we can accept any of the following:

• Utility Bill (Water, Gas, or Electricity)

• Property Tax Bill

• Purchase/ Rental/ Lease Agreement

• Current Bank Statement

• Original Income Tax Assessment

• Recent correspondence with a Municipal, Federal or Provincial Government Agency

Language Requirements

Students who wish to earn secondary school credits and previously attended or are currently attending ESL/LINC classes must provide completion verification of Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) 7 in listening, speaking, reading and writing. If English is not your first language, please bring your CLB assessment documents to the PSW literacy exam and interview (Step 3).

Download and complete the PSW Certificate Program Registration Form. 

A non-refundable application fee of $300.00 will be required to be paid on School Cash online.  Review the document checklist and all accompanying documents needed with your application.  Attach all supporting documents from the application form checklist with your complete application form and email to psw@hdsb.ca.  

All applications will be reviewed for completeness and fee payment and only those that meet the criteria will advance to Step 3.

Once we receive your completed application with all corresponding documentation to ensure it is complete, your application will be reviewed by our staff.  Selected candidates will be contacted by email to schedule a literacy assessment and in-person interview. Please bring all paper copies of documents with you to the literacy assessment and interview on the date and time shared with you.

• Selected students who complete the application form will have the opportunity to write a literacy test in-person at our Bateman Community Centre Location. Students will be contacted to schedule a date and time for the literacy test. If English is not your first language, please bring your CLB assessment documents to the literacy test.

• Selected students will also be scheduled for an interview with one of our staff.

• **Note: Attending a PSW literacy assessment or interview does not guarantee a spot in the program. Due to program space limitations, students who complete a successful interview may need to be placed on a waiting list for the next session.

• If you have not completed your OSSD, or completed your education outside of Ontario, you will be invited to book an appointment with our Guidance office to complete a Guidance Intake Form.  Guidance will let you know if the six (6) PSW elective credits will allow you to complete all your Ontario Secondary School Diploma Requirements (including 40 hours of community activities).

Selected students will then be sent a conditional acceptance and provided with a link to the next step in the registration process.

1. You will be asked to download the Registration Package 

2. You will need to complete all of the ONBOARDING and ORIENTATION PACKAGE.

3. Students will be asked to email attachments of all certificates/proof of completion for each training module. 

4. You will also need to provide the following as part of your onboarding and orientation: 

• Completed medical form including functional abilities form and immunizations. We recommend making an appointment once you receive your conditional acceptance to get this filled out. 

• Provide a CRC/VSS (valid in the last 6 months) prior to program start OR sign a statement confirming that you have applied for and expect return of  your CRC/VSS prior to placement. 

• **Note: Failure to provide a clear criminal record check with vulnerable sector screening prior to placement will prevent the student from attending placement and earning a PSW certificate. 

Please note that applicants will be accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis. Space is limited in the program and if there is no room, names will be added to the waitlist.

The deadline to submit Step 4 paperwork will be one week prior to program onboarding and orientation.

The HDSB PSW program offered in the 2025/2026 school year is partially funded by the Ministry of Education and the Government of Ontario with a fee reduction for Canadian Citizens, Permanent Residents and Refugee Claimants accepted into the program by February 2026. 

The cost of the HDSB PSW program is $2500.00 with the partial reduction of $2000.00 leaving the student portion to be $500.00

Payment in the full amount of $ 500.00 is due upon acceptance to School Cash Online.  Late fee payment may result in your conditional acceptance lapsing and your spot being offered to another student.

Upon acceptance into the program, the requirements below must be also provided in a timely manner:

• Provide a clear Criminal Records Check for Service with the Vulnerable Sector no later than 1 month prior to the practicum and co-op placement. This means no charges, convictions, even withdrawals or discharges. Failure to provide a clear Criminal Records Check will prevent you from completing the program.

• High School Transcript, Graduation Credit Summary from the last high school or Adult and Continuing Education Centre you attended.  If your last school was out of the country, you must come in-person to complete the Guidance Intake Form and make an appointment with Guidance.

• Mental and physical health and fitness levels necessary to attend all classes and complete clinical workplace hours (lifting is required)

• Medical Assessment document required

• Tuberculosis (TB) test –clear result required

• Up to date vaccinations including Covid-19, Measles/mumps/ rubella (MMR), Hepatitis B, Tetanus/diphtheria/pertussis (Tdap), Polio, Varicella. Proof of vaccination is required for ALL PSW Program placements.

• Proof of annual Flu Shot when available

Any questions can be sent to psw@hdsb.ca, or you may contact our office:

Gary Allan Learning Centres

5151 New Street,

Burlington, Ontario

L7L 1V3

Phone: 905-632-2944