Sheridan enhancing and expanding PSW program through partnership with Schlegel Villages

Sheridan's Personal Support Worker (PSW) certificate program is now being taught out of a second Mississauga location through a partnership with long-term care and retirement home provider Schlegel Villages that will accommodate more students and enhance their learning experiences.

In addition to a cohort studying at Sheridan’s Hazel McCallion Campus, nearly 100 PSW students are learning exclusively at The Village of Erin Meadows (in Mississauga) this fall through The Living Classroom at Schlegel Villages, a partnership model that offers students the opportunity to immerse themselves in a supportive Village environment while learning the fundamentals of true person-centered care.

Recently-released data shows Ontario will reportedly need more than 50,000 additional PSWs by 2032. Living Classroom is designed to improve PSW recruitment and retention rates, provide a strengthened senior care workforce with both academic knowledge and practical expertise, and improve the quality of care for older adults.

"This partnership furthers Sheridan’s ongoing commitment to supporting our communities by fueling a pipeline of healthcare professionals," says Dr. Michael O'Leary, Dean of Sheridan's Faculty of Applied Health and Community Studies. "Working with the Schlegel family, our students will learn in a transformative environment, gain hands-on skills and make a deeper impact on our local community. This new living laboratory broadens our capacity to produce more PSWs and delivers on Sheridan’s goals to be an epicentre for ground-breaking, standard-setting higher education that empowers people to adapt and thrive in an ever-changing world."

“Working with the Schlegel family, our students will learn in a transformative environment, gain hands-on skills and make a deeper impact on our local community.”

– Dr. Michael O'Leary, Dean of Sheridan's Faculty of Applied Health and Community Studies

“Through the Living Classroom, both our team members and residents have the opportunity to share their knowledge and wisdom with the future of the caregiving profession, enriching the student experience beyond measure,” says James Schlegel, President and CEO at Schlegel Villages. “We’re proud to have such a strong partner in Sheridan College, and look forward to watching these students strive for success in the coming years.”

Sheridan's PSW program trains students for a rewarding career in the high-demand field of healthcare, teaching skills needed to provide valuable care and support for clients of all ages.

Theory is reinforced through participation in clinical skill labs, simulations and 350 hours of hands-on clinical practice in long-term care facility and community settings. Since 2022, Sheridan has seen enrolment in its SSW program increase from 60 students to 210, and the college projects intake for the Winter 2025 Semester will exceed 300.

Living Classroom is funded by the Ontario Ministry of Long-Term Care and led by the Schlegel-UW Research Institute for Aging (RIA), a charitable non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing the quality of life and care of older adults.

— Photo of The Village of Erin Meadows courtesy of Schlegel Villages