A new wave of healthcare training is underway in Quebec’s Laurentians region, where students are now learning their trade directly inside long-term care facilities (CHSLDs). Through partnerships between the Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux (CISSS) des Laurentides and three vocational training centres — CFP L’Émergence, CFP Performance Plus, and CFP des Laurentides (pavillon des Sommets) — this immersive initiative aims to address the region’s critical need for skilled caregivers while offering students an unprecedented hands-on experience
A New Model of Learning in Action
Beginning in September 2025, students from CFP L’Émergence began their training at the CHSLD de Blainville, while those from Performance Plus will move into the CHSLD de Saint-Jérôme starting November 3. Meanwhile, CFP des Laurentides has already inaugurated a new teaching lab at CHSLD des Hauteurs in Sainte-Adèle, welcoming students since mid-October. Each group is finishing the Diplôme d’études professionnelles (DEP) in Soutien aux services d’assistance en établissement de santé et de services sociaux, with training extending until spring 2026
Julie Delaney, president and CEO of the CISSS des Laurentides, described the project as “a full immersion at the heart of action,” combining classroom learning, lab work, and supervised field experience alongside residents. “It allows us to plan our workforce needs and showcase our facilities to future healthcare professionals,” she declared
Bridging Education and Real-World Care
For Kateri St-André, director of CFP L’Émergence, the proximity between students and residents fosters “a more human, practical, and engaged form of training.” She emphasized how students emerge “better prepared and profoundly motivated by their future role in the health network.”
Her view is echoed by Stéphan Laurence, director of the Centre de services scolaire de la Rivière-du-Nord (CFP Performance Plus), who praised the partnership for providing “a formative and rewarding real-world experience.” Meanwhile, Sébastien Tardif, director general of the Centre de services scolaire des Laurentides, called the model “a concrete way to attract new candidates in a sector facing serious labour shortages,” adding that it also builds a sense of belonging among future caregivers
Building the Future of Long-Term Care
Upon graduation, students will be qualified to work as préposés aux bénéficiaires (orderlies) or auxiliaires aux services de santé et sociaux (health and social service assistants) across a variety of settings — from CHSLDs and hospitals to home care. The CISSS des Laurentides has also expressed plans to expand this model to other healthcare professions through new training partnerships
This approach comes as Quebec continues to grapple with chronic staffing shortages in long-term care homes, an issue magnified since the COVID-19 pandemic. By embedding students directly in the care environment, regional officials hope to create a seamless bridge between training and employment — turning CHSLDs into living classrooms that both serve and learn from the community.
As the first cohorts settle into their routines, the initiative is already drawing attention as a model of regional collaboration — one that blends education, empathy, and efficiency in pursuit of a stronger, more sustainable healthcare workforce in the Laurentians.
