MONROE — Reflecting on a decade of striving for student excellence, Blackhawk Technical College welcomed past students and the public to view current lab programs including Medical Lab Technician, Laboratory Technician Assistant, and Lab Food Science Technician.
Students attending BTC get hands on learning experience directly applicable to work output post education. BTC is trying to expand their reach by offering programs that transfer directly to accredited universities for students to ease the financial burden of attending a four-year university out of high school. A new plan to make the transferring process easier has been approved by the BTC Board and will move to the Board of Regents for further approval.
While growing their associate program, BTC lab programs have been a pioneer in preparing students for jobs after graduation. From general to specialized areas, BTC offers eight lab programs that allow students to be versatile in any area of their chosen field.
“I think the addition of the Food Science Technician was a major advancement for the programs,” said Jennifer Murphy of BTC Lab Program Advisory Board.
As a former instructor, Murphy, alongside instructor Kathleen Winker, worked to create successful lab environments for students including creating the first online Blood Bank back in 2011. The two worked in contingency, aided students in person and online to best help them.
“You can imagine what it was like to create an online class 10 years ago when the internet was still newer,” Murphy said. “Kathy took a lot on, helping students in person as they weren’t the most tech savvy when the factory closed.
Shortly before this, the General Motors assembly plant in Janesville closed creating unemployed 3,000 workers. Cindy Deegan, one of the former workers, was among the first to participate in Blackhawk lab programs. Deegan’s experience was documented in the documentary, “As Goes Janesville”. She returned for the 10-year anniversary of the program.
“The Blood Bank was awesome,” Deegan said. “It’s pretty different from 10 years ago. We were more low-tech. I was 40 when I started the program.”
After graduating from the program, Deegan was hired within a few months at a hospital in Beloit.
“In the last 10 years, there have been 15 people in my position who have retired from the hospital,” Deegan said. “Ten of those were within my first five years.”
The demand for lab program graduates is to increase by 11% in the next decade according to the US Bureau of Statistics.
“There is a need for professionals from these programs,” Murphy said. “These jobs are so relevant. Blackhawk was really able to pivot during the pandemic with the established online programs and continue to grow these fields that in such high demand, especially since COVID-19. Blackhawk provides a flexible and quality education.”
