Expanded education and training opportunities will strengthen Nova Scotia’s disability support workforce and advance the Nova Scotia Human Rights Remedy.
The Province has partnered with Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC) to open 30 more seats in the disability support professional program, which started last year. The new seats are at the Ivany campus in Dartmouth and are in addition to 100 full- and part-time seats at campuses in Kentville and Sydney. Classes at the three campuses begin in September.
“The remedy’s transformational change is creating more job opportunities for Nova Scotians in the disability support sector,” said Barbara Adams, Minister of Opportunities and Social Development. “By supporting both new and experienced professionals, we’re helping ensure that every Nova Scotian with a disability receives support that respects their rights, honours their goals, and upholds their choices.”
These investments expand access to training across the province and remove financial barriers for new students entering the field by covering the full cost of tuition, textbooks and mandatory student fees through provincially funded bursaries.
The first cohort of disability support professional students began their studies in September; about 41 full-time students from this class will graduate in June. About 18 students studying part-time over two years at the Lunenburg campus in Bridgewater will graduate in the spring of 2027.
The Province is also investing in two new microcredentials focused on human rights based practice. These short, flexible training opportunities will provide up to 1,350 seats for people already working in the sector to build skills aligned with the principles of the Nova Scotia Human Rights Remedy.
Co-developed with people with disabilities, the microcredential training focuses on individualized planning, inclusion and rights-based supports. The second microcredential builds on the first, creating a progressive learning pathway. The training will be delivered by NSCC and offered to existing service providers and their staff.
The Province is also:
- partnering with the Nova Scotia Career Development Association to develop resources that promote careers in disability support to high school students
- funding a position through Nova Scotia Community Living Organizations to help service provider organizations meet workplace safety obligations
- supporting development of a new leadership microcredential with Mount Saint Vincent University.
The Province is investing more than $1.5 million in these initiatives to grow, support and modernize Nova Scotia’s disability support workforce. This is part of a $180-million investment this year to transform the disability support system as part of the Nova Scotia Human Rights Remedy.
Quotes:
“NSCC’s health and human services and workforce development teams are honoured to partner on government’s disability support workforce strategy that is enhancing disability support services programs and accessibility to that training as part of the response to the remedy report. The programming we are developing and delivering will help open doors for new learners entering the field and will strengthen the education of those professionals working in the sector, equipping them to work in partnership with the individuals they support to build meaningful lives, barrier-free environments and inclusive communities.”
— Anna Burke, acting President, Nova Scotia Community College
Quick Facts:
- disability support professional program applications are available on the NSCC website; bursary funding is automatically applied to all qualified students in the program
- recipients of this funding must agree to work in Nova Scotia’s disability support sector for at least one year following graduation
- the Nova Scotia Human Rights Remedy is guiding a shift toward more inclusive, community-based and person-directed supports for people with disabilities across the province; expanding education and training is a key part of ensuring the sector is equipped to deliver on that commitment
Additional Resources:
Nova Scotia Disability Support Workforce Strategy: https://dsp-transformation.ca/sites/default/files/2025-01/NS%20-%20DSP%20Workforce%20Strategy%202025.pdf
Information on NSCC’s disability support professional program: https://www.nscc.ca/programs-and-courses/programs/plandescr.aspx?prg=DSPC&pln=DISSUPPRO
Disability support transformation progress and updates: https://www.dsp-transformation.ca/
News release – Bursaries for Disability Support Training Programs: https://news.novascotia.ca/en/2025/02/27/bursaries-disability-support-training-programs
