Developmental Services Worker Apprenticeship Course

A developmental disability significantly affects one’s ability to learn and use information. Whether caused genetically or developmentally, a developmental disability continues throughout a person’s life.

As a consequence of their permanent intellectual limitations, people with a developmental disability require varying degrees of support throughout their lives.

A Developmental Services Worker (DSW) supports people with developmental disabilities to be fully active and inclusive members of society. They encourage skill development by assisting with the maintenance of health and wellbeing, fostering life skills, and personal empowerment.

DSWs fulfill many roles as they help to build natural community supports, networks and valued social roles. They foster connections between the people they support, their families and community partners.

Developmental Services Workers play an increasing role in promoting the development of inclusive communities that accept people with disabilities as valued and participating citizens.

They do this by helping members of society change their beliefs, fears, stereotypes and attitudes, thereby enabling persons labeled developmentally disabled to become a part of their lives and communities.

Providing support services for people with special needs can be highly rewarding work on a personal level. It also continues to be a very stable employment area. However with a shortage of DSWs in the social services field, the Ontario government recently announced that a Developmental Services Worker apprenticeship course would be added to college curriculums. Orangeville’s Humber College offers the DSW apprenticeship program at their Alder Street campus.

The apprenticeship program is open to people already working in the Developmental services field, students considering an apprenticeship or people looking for a career change. You will have the opportunity to make a difference to people with a developmental disability by helping to build a diverse and inclusive society.

The new Developmental Services Worker Apprenticeship program is a unique opportunity to get paid while training for a rewarding career. About 90 per cent of the training happens on the job and takes about 2 years to complete. You will also receive 780 hours of classroom instruction at the college. The student will develop transferable skills while being trained within provincial industry standards, work with employers who value highly skilled workers, receive a certificate of Apprenticeship upon completion and pay only a portion of the classroom training costs. The apprenticeship can lead to a DSW diploma if it’s combined with general college education credits.

A Developmental Services Agency in Ontario must sponsor your apprenticeship training. Community Living Dufferin is an example of such an agency. The agency will contact the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities to register you in an apprenticeship training agreement.

For more information on the DSW Apprenticeship Program visit the website at www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/tcu/apprentices
or call the Employment Ontario Hotline 1-800-387-5656.
If you work in the field contact your Human Resources department.
For more information on CLD services visit our website at www.communitylivingdufferin.ca