Caring for people is instinctual for most of us, but for some, it’s a calling in life. When choosing a career, do you want to help people with their health or wellness? The healthcare and social services sectors are rapidly growing career fields that provide essential services and support to communities across the country, geographically and even demographically.

But these areas need the support of people who care. Skilled health and social services workers help improve the quality of life for individuals, families, and communities by promoting overall physical health and holistic well-being.

To join the ranks of these essential workers, you should acquire the necessary skills and knowledge. Fortunately, diplomas in health and social services

 can help you gain hard and soft skills as well as practical knowledge. In this blog post, we will explore how addictions and community health, medical office assistant, or pharmacy assistant diplomas can be your key to achieving a balance between career goals and a desire to serve the needs of others.

Career Paths You Can Take With Your Choice Of Health And Social Services Diplomas

If you are looking for a career that is meaningful, challenging, and rewarding, health and social services diplomas can be the bridge to getting paid for helping people stay healthy. A health diploma of your choice can open up many opportunities for you in various areas of the healthcare and social service sectors — supporting the health and wellness of Canadians. 

Health and social services diplomas aren’t limited to addictions work! Depending on which one you choose, you’ll have the choice of a range of career paths that suit your interests, skills, and goals — making the most of your talents and community-minded nature. Some of the career paths you can take with health programs have different administrative or practical focuses, and some are more social than others! Let’s explore some options.

Addictions & Community Health Professional Diploma

Addictions & Community Health diplomas lie at the intersection of health and social services. This diploma prepares you to work with individuals and groups who are affected by substance use (a better term than substance abuse) and interdependent mental health issues. Students learn how to assess, plan, implement, and evaluate interventions that promote recovery and wellness. 

Develop job-ready skills in the following:

• Counselling
• Case Management
• Crisis Intervention
• Harm Reduction
• Community Development
• And More

With proof of these skills as provided by a diploma, you can pursue careers such as Youth Outreach Worker, Community Health Worker, Relapse Prevention Specialist, and more. 

Pharmacy Assistant Diploma

This diploma trains you to assist Pharmacists in dispensing medications and providing patient care. Key outcomes include how to process prescriptions, skills in the preparation of medications, inventory maintenance, pharmacy software, and communication with patients and health professionals.

These skills best benefit from the following Pharmacy Assistant courses: 

• Pharmacology
• Community Pharmacy Procedure
• Retail Pharmacy Procedure
• Anatomy & Physiology
• Medical Terminology
• And More

Students also gain knowledge of pharmacy software to better perform their duties. Graduating from a Pharmacy Assistant diploma can help you find employment as a pharmacy assistant in various settings, from hospitals to community pharmacies or long-term care facilities.

Medical Office Administration Diploma

Graduating with a Medical Office Administration diploma equips you to perform administrative and clerical tasks required of medical offices and clinics. You will learn how to manage patient records, schedule appointments, process insurance claims, handle billing and payments, and use medical software. 

Students also acquire skills in communication, customer service, organization, and problem-solving. With the right blend of hard and soft skills developed in a diploma, you can succeed as a:

• Medical Office Assistant
• Medical Secretary
• Medical Office Receptionist
• Medical Transcriptionist
• Hospital Unit Clerk
• Hospital Ward Secretary
• And More

Depending on where you are in the country, you can enjoy great job opportunities — and the ability to move to any community in need of your skills – in various healthcare settings such as doctors’ offices, hospitals, or laboratories. Give our How-to-become-an-MOA series a read and look for your hometown!

Demand For Skilled Health And Social Services Workers

The demand for highly skilled workers in healthcare and social services is not going away any time soon, and there is a shortfall of workers in some of these areas. 

It’s hard for some health and wellness organizations to get the right help at the right time, and in particular there are significant shortages of Pharmacy Assistants across the country. With Health and Social Services diplomas, you’ll have the skills and knowledge that employers are looking for, and you’ll set yourself up for an exciting and fulfilling career. 

Develop Versatile Skills In High Demand

Step into a learning curve where every skill honed is a prized asset in today’s market. These diplomas equip you with an arsenal of skills including effective communication, leadership, teamwork, and empathy, preparing you for a fulfilling journey in a sector that values growth and continuous learning.

Variety Of Career Paths

Embrace a role where you’re not just working for a living but living to make a significant difference. Are you looking for a diploma with career path options and a variety of ways to support the health of society?

The health and social services sector remains a bastion of empathy, offering career satisfaction as you bring transformative change in the lives of the vulnerable and unwell, nurturing inclusivity and compassion in exceedingly practical ways.

This sector offers various career paths that cater to diverse interests and skills. A diploma from a reputable college like Sundance college can open the door to career opportunities ranging broadly from community support worker to mental health worker, pharmacy assistant, or youth care worker, to name a few.

MOA graduates typically choose to work in hospitals as a Unit Clerk, or as an MOA in long-term care facilities, private wellness clinics, dentists’ and oral surgeons’ offices, and much more. Your options are more numerous than you might think!

Competitive Pay: A Financial Reward To Helping People Through Your Career

Another benefit of pursuing a career in health and social services is a better salary than you might make in unskilled labour. For example, the top 10% of Pharmacy Assistants in the highest paying provinces and territories make an average of well over $25/hour or $52,000 annually:

• Northwest Territories: $35.93/hour
• Alberta: $29.07/hour
• Ontario: $28.22/hour
• Yukon Territory: $28.02/hour
• British Colombia: $28.00/hour

And nationwide, Medical Office Assistants make an average of $22.00 per hour. The top 10% of earners also make over $25/hour, or $52,000 per year as Medical Office Assistants:

• Nunavut: $35.72/hour
• Northwest Territories: $32.90/hour
• Yukon Territory: $31.50/hour
• Alberta: $27.65/hour
• Ontario: $26.00/hour

These wage points are averages! What you earn is based on which province you get a job in, whom your employer is — and tends to rise as you acquire experience and develop your skills. Health and Social Services diplomas not only help you achieve your career goal, but also allow you to have a stable and secure financial future.

Stepping into the healthcare sector through these diplomas means embracing a career that is not only stable but also financially rewarding. Be in high demand as you bring essential skills and experience to a sector where the earning potential continues to grow, paralleled with an increasing need for healthcare services globally.

Unveil Opportunities for Growth and Advancement Through Sundance College

Fuel your passion and carve out a career where there’s always room for growth. The diploma you choose encourages a spirit of lifelong learning, beckoning opportunities to further your education, adapt to technological changes, and join a rapidly integrating healthcare system.

Industry-Experienced Instructors

Sundance College employs instructors who are accomplished in their respective fields; they have practical hands-on experience, providing insights and mentoring you on how to succeed in your career path. Knowing how to help and what needs to be done is not something most can learn in a critical few first weeks on the job; most employers in health and wellness just don’t have time to teach you everything you need to know!

To get started, you need the right balance between career education and healthcare skills to work in pharmacies or other health and wellness settings — and industry-experienced instructors are your best resources in this regard.

Sundance College instructors are often celebrated by graduates who end up getting a job right out of college. Mylene, a student from our Edmonton campus had this to say, during her Pharmacy Assistant Diploma, about her instructors and the staff that support them:

“I am grateful I am studying in this wonderful college with amazing and lovely people giving immense support to all their students. I had an amazing experience starting from inquiries to registration, student aid application, orientation, going through the courses for my program, tech support and practicum placement. All the staff and Instructors (especially Ms. Nina, Ms. Noor, Ms. Ashley, Ms. Zaenab, Ms. Joanna, Ms. Denise, Ms. Sarah and Garret) are very kind and accommodating. They are willing to go the extra mile to support their students. Many thanks and kudos to all the Sundance Team for all their commitment and dedication.”

Career-Success Oriented Career Services For Health Program Students

Sundance College also provides comprehensive career services that can help you prepare to land your dream job. All Sundance College students benefit from Career Services assistance with a workplace practicum, resume writing, interview coaching, job search tips, networking pointers, and more. Along with your instructors and our approach to learning, career services help students succeed; overall, our graduates enjoy a 92% employment rate. 

Career services help you get job-ready. With this support, excellence in your program, and your positive and winning attitude, you might end your program with 2 job offers, like 2023 Sundance College Honours graduate, Valerie!

Health And Social Services Courses With Onsite Practicums

Practicums are the bridge between your health and social services career training and your success as a graduate. At Sundance College, you will receive support in securing a practicum placement, and you’ll have the chance to apply and solidify your healthcare or social services knowledge.

The best health and social services diplomas from Canadian career colleges include practical training

 to give students hands-on experience in real-world settings. This training can help students develop the skills and confidence they need to hit the ground running when they start their careers. 

A practicum is especially vital to addictions and community health work, bridging theory and practice for a greater impact in the realm of social services. Practical training like this can also be a valuable opportunity to establish professional networks and gain contacts in the industry.

Enroll In Sundance College’s Health Or Social Services Diplomas For A Career Helping Those In Need

Launching a journey in this sector by way of your health and social services diploma is more than a step towards a career; it’s a pledge to a fulfilling and supportive future. It opens doors to being a crucial part of a constantly integrating wellness sector, promising not just personal satisfaction but a lucrative career path with lots of stable job opportunities. 

As the sector grows, you are not just setting yourself up for a career, but for long-term success in an area that grows in step with communities across the country. Now is the time to steer your aspirations into a vibrant reality, fostering a future built on passion, dedication, and the joy of making a difference in the physical, mental, and social health of others each day.

Overall, diplomas in health and social services can be a worthy investment in your future. Not only will it provide you with the necessary skills and knowledge to make a meaningful impact, but you’ll also have a diverse range of career options with competitive pay.

The sense of accomplishment that comes from helping individuals and communities means that working in the health and social services can be a lifelong rewarding career. Start planning your future and take the first step towards achieving your career goals today!