Assiniboine Community College has opened applications for a Practical Nursing program in Neepawa.

The program will start in January 2024 with space for 25 students.

“Nursing is our single largest program, and our rural sites provide opportunities to learners close to home. Providing access to training across the province to meet provincial and regional needs is central to our mission,” said Mark Frison, President of Assiniboine.

“Neepawa is a growing community with growing needs in healthcare. We look forward to working with the community, province and health region to help to meet that need.”

The community will host an information session on March 22 at 7 p.m. at the Neepawa Legion. Representatives from the college will present at the session and be on-site with information about the program, admission requirements and applications.

Applications will be assessed on an ongoing basis, with those living within 100 km of Neepawa and/or within the Prairie Mountain Health region given priority.

In addition to this site, the college hosts four rural rotating Practical Nursing sites each year and has permanent Practical Nursing programs in Brandon, Winnipeg, Dauphin and Portage la Prairie.

The demand for Assiniboine nursing graduates continues to be high; 100 per cent of practical nursing graduates surveyed from the 2021-22 academic year said they had jobs, making on average more than $57,000 a year.