When it comes to job opportunities, health care is a bright spot in Georgia. This sector is growing and employers are hiring.
Hospitals, ambulatory health care services and nursing and residential care facilities are among Georgia’s top 20 employment subsectors for 2011-12, according to the Georgia Department of Labor. These employers are expected to have the most new and replacement jobs.
Of the 10 occupations that require an associate degree or less and have the highest number of expected job openings, six are in health care: registered nurse; dental hygienist; medical and clinical laboratory technicians; medical records and health information technicians; radiologic technologists/technicians; and respiratory therapists, according to the Labor Department.
Atlanta Technical College is meeting that demand with a new $14.8 million allied health and technology complex and new health care programs. You could get your foot in the door with a health care science technical certificate of credit from Atlanta Tech.
“This certificate will help people looking for entry-level jobs as aides, technicians and assistants in health care facilities and organizations,” said Queenston Thorpe, dean of health and public safety technologies at Atlanta Tech.
A physical therapist who previously managed her own company, Thorpe has hired many therapists and aides.
“This certificate will give job seekers an advantage in applying for entry-level jobs,” she said. “It shows employers that they understand the health care environment and have learned some professionalism in interacting with patients and their families.”
The 28-credit-hour health care science certificate takes two semesters to complete and costs about $2,500, with application and activity fees.
Students take core courses in English, math, psychology and public speaking. They also take an introduction to health care class in which they learn basic skills such as taking blood pressure, administering CPR and understanding the HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) laws governing the privacy of personal health care information. Other health care courses include medical terminology, and anatomy and physiology.
“Helping people find jobs is one prong of this certificate, but giving them a pathway to pursue their education is another,” Thorpe said. “This certificate provides the foundation for many of our health care programs.”
In August, Atlanta Tech will launch new programs in radiologic technology, dental hygiene, surgical technology, registered nursing and physical therapist assisting. Applications will be competitive for some fields.
“With an associate degree, graduates will have access to high-demand jobs that pay well,” Thorpe said.
The Department of Labor predicts there will be 660 new and replacement openings per year for registered nurses in Georgia through 2018. Physical therapist assistants, dental hygienists and surgical technologists are some of the fastest-growing occupations in the country, according the U.S. Department of Labor. Job demand is expected to grow 35 percent, 36 percent and 25 percent, respectively, through 2018.
Technical education is accessible and affordable Thorpe noted. A two-year dental hygiene degree costs about $11,000 at a Georgia technical college, she said. The median salary for dental hygienists in Atlanta is $61,713, according to salary.com.
For information about the new health care programs, call 404-225-4400 or 404-225-4461 (admissions) or go to www.atlantatech.edu.
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