About continuing care assistants

Continuing care assistants provide personal and compassionate care to people in long-term care and home care settings. CCAs help clients with daily activities, support social or recreational interactions, and help maintain client safety and wellbeing.

Pay range

Continuing care assistants are in high demand. CCAs in Nova Scotia earn between $43,000 and $48,000 annually.

Becoming a continuing care assistant

To become a CCA, you must successfully complete a CCA program through a licensed education provider and pass the CCA Certification Exam.

Programs are offered at NSCC, Université Sainte-Anne and some private career colleges in Nova Scotia. Work-and-learn programs (in-class and on-site learning) are available. Work-and-learn programs, that combine in-class learning (3 days a week) and on-site learning (2 days a week in a continuing care setting) are also available. Programs are available throughout the province (start dates vary). And some programs can be completed in 32 weeks.

If you have lots of experience providing care (in Nova Scotia, or in another province or country), you may also be able to get CCA certification through the Recognized Prior Learning (RPL) Program. The RPL Program helps you get credit for significant care-related on-the-job training, formal education and life experiences that you already have.

Available support

The Government of Nova Scotia is providing free tuition, textbooks (and some additional program costs) for 1,000 students who enroll in a CCA program at:

• Cape Breton Business College (CBBC)
• Eastern College
• Island Career Academy
• NSCC
• Oxford International College Halifax
• Université Sainte-Anne

For tuition to be covered, students must agree to work as a CCA in Nova Scotia (at a funded and licensed nursing home, residential care facility or publicly funded home care agency) for 2 years.

The Government of Nova Scotia will also cover Recognition of Prior Learning Program fees for anyone working in Nova Scotia’s continuing care sector (at a funded and licensed nursing home, residential care facility, or publicly funded home care agency).

Next steps

Visit NSCC, Université Sainte-Anne or a private career college for more information about CCA programs (including admission requirements, program start dates, courses and how to apply).