Jennifer,
I helped start a one year certificate program at a local community college.
Recruitment is weak here also.  Last semester was cancelled because there
were no applicants.  This semester, there are seven students.  The college
wants to see aminimum of 10 per semester.  The program director started
talking to the people in admissions to promote the new program.  A couple of
students transferred from the MLT program into Histo.  This helped this
semester.  Hopefully, the applicants will increase.  The program director is
now going to the high schools and promoting the program with the guidence
counselors.  We also are affraid of over-saturating the field.  I'm
screaming for two more techs, but the request has fallen on deaf ears 
(budget cuts, RIFs, you know the drill).  The work load has increased, but
then I get yelled at because the techs work overtime.  I told the lab
manager that I didn't want to hear it until I get more techs.  It's a catch
22 situation.  Try working with the admissions office and try the high
schools.  That's the best I can offer.

Joe Nocito, B.S., HT(ASCP)QIHC
Histology Supervisor
Christus Santa Rosa Hospitals
San Antonio, Texas 
 

> -----Original Message-----
> From:	DayDawning@aol.com [SMTP:DayDawning@aol.com]
> Sent:	Tuesday, February 22, 2000 8:09 AM
> To:	brittman@mail.db.uth.tmc.edu; histonet@pathology.swmed.edu
> Subject:	Re: Recruitment for school of histology
> 
> I worked in a facillity that had an excellent training program.  (Peggy
> Wenk, 
> I know you are out there!) Not only did this school provide excellent 
> candidates for employment, but they worked on rotation throught different 
> laboratories  providing help when needed  and kept the techs brushed up on
> 
> their skills.  Former graduates are all over the country.  (I know because
> I 
> keep running into them in my travels)
> 
> Dawn M. Truscott, HT(ASCP)
> Richard-Allan Scientific/Microm Division
> 
> 
> 
> n a message dated 02/22/2000 8:49:08 AM Eastern Standard Time, 
> brittman@mail.db.uth.tmc.edu writes:
> 
> << Jennifer, hi to y'all in SA.
>  
>  Hre in Texas I belive that there is ashortage of trained
>  histotechnologists. I personally welcome any new training programs that
>  will circumvent the on the job training for new entrants into the field.
> I
>  strongly believe that the job situation as regards salaries will have to
>  increase to meet the increased demand. However, let us face it. It will
>  take a lot of work on all our parts to educate those individuals who do
> not
>  understand that most histotechs put a lot of skill and dedication into
>  their jobs. Those individuals are generally the ones controlling the
> purse
>  strings.
>  We tend to go in cycles of feast and famine as far as job aavailabilities
>  and pay. Think we have passed the famine stage as regards pay. Hope I am
>  right.
>  Barry
>  
>  At 10:44 AM 02/21/2000 -0800, you wrote:
>  >A local community college is trying to start a training program for
>  >histotechnology.  It is well into the process, but was told that the
>  >recruitment plan is weak.  Does anyone have any ideas for recruitment?
> Also
>  >there were concerns that the program would glut industry with graduates
> the
>  >first year and then have no jobs for future graduates.  Does anyone feel
>  >that this is a valid concern?   All comments and suggestions are
> welcome.
>  >
>  >
>  >Jennifer MacDonald
>  >San Antonio Community Hospital
>  >Upland, CA  91786
>  >(909) 985-2811 ext. 4148
>  >jmacdonald@sach.org
>  > >>