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Online skin and wound care program to begin in September

One of four new online programs, skin and wound care, is geared towards northern Indigenous communities
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Sault College. Darren Taylor/SooToday

Sault College continues to expand its microcredential program offerings.

Individual microcredential courses and entire programs are being increasingly offered online in Ontario.

Designed for students who want to learn at their own pace, the programs are often 12 weeks in length as an alternative to returning to school for two or three years.

Of particular interest to students in Sault College’s health programs - as well as professionals already working in health care and wishing to upgrade their skills - is a new Skin and Wound Care program.

Partnered with WoundPedia and Dr. Gary Sibbald, a Toronto dermatologist who has held clinics in Sault Ste. Marie for 40 years, the Skin and Wound Care program is of special interest to northern Ontario and Indigenous communities, which experience a higher rate of amputations compared to the rest of Ontario.

The program will include:

  • 150 hours of theory
  • Training in diabetic foot and leg ulcers, dermatology, pressure injuries, wounds in long term care and wound infection
  • One virtual reality experience that will address how to treat and care for specific wounds and conditions 
  • Fully online asynchronous training

The online program will take up to 11 weeks for students to complete and is expected to attract students who are already PSWs, RNs, RPNs, physicians and dermatologists, said Jennifer Mosley, Sault College E Learning program manager, addressing the college’s board of governors at its monthly meeting held Thursday.

Capital funds of $100,000 will be allocated to support the skin and wound lab for the hands-on elements of the courses.

The college will also offer microcredential training in various mental health and addictions-related topics, including grief through the Indigenous lens, a mental status exam, the Mental Health Act, pharmacology in mental health and addictions and geriatric psychiatry.

Each mental health and addictions course is approximately 40 hours in length, delivered online and self-directed, meaning learners will be able to learn at their own pace.

“We learned from industry experts that these topics were an area of concern regarding knowledge and training gaps. To ensure that we were effective in addressing this need, we employed professionals in the industry who could develop the curriculum so that it reflected real world application and scenario based learning,” Mosley said.

The college has also developed a microcredential program with Ontario Lottery and Gaming.

The program will include:

  • An overview and history of OLG
  • OLG support centre technology
  • Effective business writing
  • Customer service skills 
  • Customer service virtual reality

The OLG Game On! Program is available in English and French, available online anytime, available at Sault College, OLG or Contact North and takes 11 weeks to complete.

“We had learned OLG was ready to transform their face to face training so creating these online training modules are going to support the idea of hiring more individuals and preparing them for employment within OLG. These are going to be made available on our platform for individuals who may not be working in OLG but want to familiarize themselves with the content of these modules in hopes they can secure employment with OLG,” Mosley said.  

Sault College was also recently asked to write a business case to obtain additional funding for more microcredential training and was awarded an additional $472,500 for its business case.

“We were ecstatic and absolutely thankful for this award,” Mosley said.

“The business plan is to continue to work with Queen's University to offer courses for physicians and allied health professionals in the north for a conference we will be holding on campus in fall of 2022. The conference (from Oct. 24 to Oct. 28) will cover travel and accommodation costs for up to 50 individuals, a maximum of $3,000 per attendee. Additionally there may be an opportunity for our nursing students to participate which will be an excellent way for them to gain more knowledge as well as network with other professionals in the industry,” Mosley told the board.

Sault College received $1,135,875 for its four new microcredential programs.

The Skin and Wound Care, mental health and addictions and OLG programs start online in September 2022.

Currently the college has over 4,100 students registered in its various microcredential courses and programs.

Students in each program may apply for OSAP if needed.

Students interested in the new Sault College microcredential courses and programs may register online beginning in August.


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Darren Taylor

About the Author: Darren Taylor

Darren Taylor is a news reporter and photographer in Sault Ste Marie. He regularly covers community events, political announcements and numerous board meetings. With a background in broadcast journalism, Darren has worked in the media since 1996.
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