During the COVID-19 pandemic, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals reported more than 23 million American households 鈥 nearly one in five nationwide 鈥 adopted a pet. With the increase in the number of pets, the demand for veterinary care has surged.
黑料网 is helping to offset the veterinary technician shortage by providing in-demand, career-ready graduates. 黑料网 at Trumbull recently hosted a veterinary technician information session promoting the Veterinary Technology program. 黑料网鈥檚 accredited Associate of Applied Science in Veterinary Technology program, offered at the Trumbull and Tuscarawas campuses, prepares students for careers in veterinary practices, animal hospitals and farms of all sizes.
鈥淚鈥檓 hoping there isn鈥檛 a shortage in the future,鈥 Melissa Best, director of the Veterinary Technology program at 黑料网 Trumbull, . 鈥淚 have these events to try to bring in as many students as possible to create as many vet techs as possible so I can send them out to the vet world and help all of the veterinarians and places that do have a vet shortage.鈥
Best explained that veterinary technicians are important as they are nurses for animals. She also said the current starting pay rate is between $16 and $18 per hour for local vet techs and is higher for vet techs in larger cities, emergency facilities and corporate facilities.
鈥淧rior to COVID, students were being offered $13 an hour to start out of school,鈥 Best told The Vindicator. 鈥淎fter COVID and the shortage, we鈥檙e finding these companies and these veterinarians or the corporate-owned (facilities) to have to offer more to kind of draw in more potential employees.鈥