COVID-19 and NACC Curriculum Short Term Training Measures

On Friday, March 13th, 2020 the Ministry of Training Colleges and Universities (MTCU) issued an advisory to provide Private Career College (PCC) owners and operators with important information about the current coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. You can view the MTCU memo here, and view the official NACC memo here.

In the advisory, Travis Coulter, Superintendent of Private Career Colleges, Director Private Career Colleges Branch states that some PCC operators have requested permission to accommodate students by offering classroom programs via online, distance or other alternative methods of instruction on a temporary basis.

Mr. Coulter has advised he is prepared to consider requests for special, short term accommodations on a program-by-program basis to allow students to continue their training via alternative methods of instruction.

The NACC PSW and ECA programs are not approved by the MTCU for online delivery. However, given the circumstances we are currently faced with, it is the view of NACC that the theory components of all NACC curriculum can be delivered through alternative methods of instruction in accordance with the guidelines and approval process proposed by MTCU. This applies to all of NACCs curriculum, which is as follows:

      – Personal Support Worker (PSW)
      – Personal Support Worker Bridging (PSWB)
      – Early Childcare Assistant (ECA)
      – Pharmacy Assistant
      – Esthetics

While this memo serves as approval from NACC for PCCs to seek alternative delivery method approval from the MTCU for NACC programs, it is up to the individual college administration to attest to having the current capacity to train, evaluate and support students (appendix item in the above MTCU notice). NACC requires that colleges who receive MTCU approval for alternative training methods advise NACC of their approval, method of delivery and timelines. Whatever course of action is implemented by the PCC will still be subject to future NACC audits.

NACC further advises PCCs that lab components of the curriculum cannot be delivered remotely based on the current defined competencies.

The NACC exam system will remain operational throughout this time to accommodate colleges that might have remote proctoring of exams or implementing exam process that involves social distancing in a proctored classroom.

Support for this course of action by NACC is effective immediately and will remain in effect until notification is received by MTCU and health officials that there is no continuing risk to students of contracting COVID-19 by attending their PCC.

Sincerely,

Denis Sabourin
Chief Executive Officer
National Association of Career Colleges