A new school year has just begun and many students are undertaking exciting new adventures in education. For some, alongside the enthusiasm for learning, there may also be anxiety regarding post-secondary education costs. At VHA Home HealthCare (VHA), supporting our people and helping them achieve their professional and personal goals is engrained in our organizational culture. This is one of the many reasons why VHA was recently ranked in the top 25 of Canada’s best employers for company culture by Forbes.

To help our staff and care service providers achieve their educational goals, VHA offers the WorkSmart program. This unique program offers VHA team members the opportunity to advance their academic goals by providing financial assistance upon successful completion of a course (including registration cost, materials and time for mandatory external education).

A number of VHA team members have taken advantage of the program to upgrade their education and advance their careers.

One example is Poonam, who first joined VHA’s finance department in 2019 as a billing assistant. As a new immigrant, Poonam brought with her a wealth of educational expertise including her MBA in Finance. However, she soon realized that the key to growing a flourishing career in finance in Canada would require her to obtain her professional designation as an accountant. The WorkSmart program helped to cover a portion of Poonam’s costs to complete her Chartered Professional Accountant program. Thanks to this educational achievement, together with her work experience and excellent contributions, VHA was pleased to promote Poonam to Revenue Cycle Manager earlier this year.

“Completing the CPA program with the support of WorkSmart was a very rewarding achievement. It not only helped me reach an important personal and professional goal but also opened the door to new opportunities and ultimately allowed me to transition into a new role at VHA,” say Poonam. “I’m incredibly grateful that VHA invested in my growth and gave me the support I needed to build on the experience I brought with me and turn it into a meaningful career here in Canada.”

Another team member with an equally meaningful experience is Nicole, a member of VHA’s digital and information technology team. Nicole plays a critical role in many digital transformation projects at VHA. This is a continually evolving and increasingly complex field. To deepen her understanding of how best to translate digital transformation into meaningful system change, as well as broaden her knowledge regarding healthcare leadership and health systems, Nicole chose to pursue her Master of Health Science (MHSc) degree. Thanks to her leadership on a number of key initiatives, together with the completion of this program, earlier this year, Nicole transitioned from the role of Manager, Digital Transformation into the role of Director, Digital Transformation & Adoption.

“WorkSmart allowed me to invest in my education while continuing to grow my career at VHA,” says Nicole. “What I valued most was being able to bring what I was learning back to my work in real time — strengthening how I lead transformation, support my team and contribute to improving care for our clients.”

Beyond investing directly in the education and advancement of our people, VHA also recognizes the financial burden that rising costs of education can have on families. To help address this growing need, VHA created the Head Start Scholarship program to provide financial support to the children of VHA staff and care service providers currently pursuing their post-secondary education.

Since its inception in 2012, the Head Start Scholarship program has awarded $526,500 in scholarships with a selected 30 applicants receiving $1,500 each this year.

Recipients of the program are chosen not only for their academic achievements but also for their dedication and commitment to community involvement.

For Lawrencia, a first-year student studying Biomedical Sciences at TMU, receiving support has helped her follow an exciting path. Lawrencia is keen to explore medical mysteries such as the effects of melanin in people of African-descent and differences in illness presentation in women. Caring for others inspires her and may one day help her play a role in discovering answers to these questions and advance medical care through research or patient care.

“Knowing that someone saw my passion and has decided to back me up and support me in the start of my career gives me much encouragement to keep pushing forward,” says Lawrencia.

A Head Start Scholarship has given Nandni, a third-year geological sciences student, the opportunity and encouragement to develop the skills she needs to make a meaningful impact through her studies and contribute to a more sustainable, net-zero emissions future.

“Mineral resources are essential to modern life, and I want to contribute to making their extraction safer and more sustainable over time,” tells Nandni.

Supporting personal and professional development for our people and their families helps us strengthen the care we provide to clients while contributing to healthier, stronger communities. As we celebrate the beginning of the new school year and continue to invest in programs such as WorkSmart and Head Start, we reaffirm our commitment to supporting our people to reach their full career potential.