The College of the Canyons Allied Health Division will host a series of information meetings designed to introduce students and the public to the college’s recently approved Medical Laboratory Technology (MLT) program and the various employment opportunities available in the high-demand medical and biotechnical lab industries.

The MLT program will begin offering classes in the fall 2010 semester.

Information sessions about the new program will be held at 4 p.m., Thursday, July 1, and 5 p.m., Wednesday, July 7, in Aliso Lab room 321, located on the college’s Valencia campus.

Each information session is expected to last approximately one hour and include information about eligibility requirements, program prerequisites and the application process, as well as potential career paths and employment opportunities related to this degree.

MLT professionals play critical roles in collecting the data and information needed to provide care to patients and/or perform research used in the scientific exploration of many areas throughout the larger medical, pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.

Certified MLT professionals often find employment in hospitals, clinics, public health facilities and other commercial laboratories — where their training and communication and research skills are highly valued.

“Currently, as with all health care occupations, there is a shortage of personnel qualified to work in hospital and biotechnical labs,” said Sue Albert, dean of Allied Health at the college. “As the first community college in the region to offer an MLT program, it’s our goal to help California meet the statewide demand for trained laboratory personnel.”

The California Employment Development Department estimates the need for medical and clinical technicians in the healthcare industry will increase by more than 17 percent between 2006 and 2016.

Additionally, statistics provided by the United States Department of Labor show that an entry level certified MLT technician in the state of California typically earns a median income of more than $38,000 a year, higher in many locations.

Students who complete the two-year MLT program will receive an associate in science degree in MLT and be eligible to sit for the national certification exam needed in order to receive licensing from the California Department of Health Services Laboratory Field Services Branch.

For more information about the College of the Canyons MLT program or either of the upcoming information sessions contact the Allied Health office at (661) 362-3287 or visit www.canyons.edu/departments/MLT.