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The province is funding a new Community and Employer Partnership that will provide 15 people with training to prepare them for jobs as medical lab assistants.

Photo by Jaana Björk

Medical lab assistant training opens doors to in-demand jobs

By Richmond Sentinel

Published 11:44 PST, Mon January 30, 2023

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As many as 15 eligible participants will receive skills training to prepare them for jobs as medical laboratory assistants in the Lower Mainland through a new Community and Employer Partnerships (CEP) project funded by the ministry.

“For newcomers and youth, this training can lead to great jobs in great demand,” said Sheila Malcolmson, Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction. “Increasing the number of qualified medical lab assistants also means more British Columbians will get the services they count on.”

Health Minister Adrian Dix said: “Our government remains committed to strengthening our health-care workforce by investing in training opportunities for people looking to pursue a rewarding career in health care. This training project will help bring much-needed medical laboratory assistants to the Lower Mainland, ensuring that people in B.C. can access the health care they need when they need it.”

Self Rise Training Society is receiving more than $350,000 for the training program that will take place at Cambria College.

“We are grateful that this funding will provide opportunities for people in the local community to train for jobs in clinical and hospital settings,” said Sebastian Saboori, executive director, Self Rise Training Society. “We're working with Cambria College to prepare graduates for rewarding medical laboratory careers in the province.”

Participants will receive 35 weeks of in-class and practical learning exercises to train for the certification including: introduction to medical terminology, laboratory microbiology and clinical chemistry courses, four weeks of on-the-job experience with local employers, one week of job search support, and one week of follow up support to prepare participants for employment.

Anyone interested in finding out more about this or other CEP projects can contact their local WorkBC centre.

Funding for this project is provided through the Project Based Labour Market Training stream of the CEP program. CEP investments are targeted at projects that support an inclusive economic recovery.

CEP projects support B.C. job-seekers' training and work experience, as well as helping businesses and communities address labour-market challenges. Through CEP, the province invests $15 million annually in communities throughout B.C.

This announcement is part of StrongerBC's Future Ready Plan. Future Ready aims to make education and training more accessible, affordable, and relevant to help businesses grow and prepare British Columbians for the jobs of tomorrow.

To learn how CEP is helping local communities, visit workbc.ca/Employment-Services/Community-and-Employer-Partnerships.aspx.

For more information about the Self Rise Training Society, visit selfrise.ca.