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Jobs are out there, VGCC Pharmacy Technology program head says

Even when the job market is as tight as it is today, there are still certain opportunities available and some employers are hiring. In fact, according to a highly-publicized report prepared recently by the National Skills Alliance for the Southern Governors Association, employers are struggling to fill many positions, mostly “middle-skill jobs,” which require more education than a high school diploma but less than a four-year degree. The report also said that middle-skill jobs will account for 45 percent of North Carolina job openings in the next decade. Pharmacy Technician is an example of a “middle-skill job,” one of many for which training is available at Vance-Granville Community College.

 

VGCC’s Pharmacy Technology program is designed primarily to prepare individuals to assist pharmacists with the technical duties involved with pharmacy operations, but that tells only part of the story. “Not all pharmacy technology jobs are what you typically think of,” said Carla May, the instructor who heads up the VGCC program. “They’re not just the pharmacy technicians in the drug stores and grocery stores. Graduates of our program can also be employed in hospitals, nursing homes, wholesale drug companies, pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities and pharmacy benefit management call centers.” May pointed out that near VGCC’s campus is one such call center, Affiliated Computer Services (ACS), where several of her graduates have found jobs. “Our graduates typically have multiple job offers right after they graduate,” said May. “These might be what are commonly called ‘sit-down’ jobs or ‘stand-up’ jobs. There is a growing demand for skilled workers for both types of jobs.”

 

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, pharmacy technician employment is expected to increase by at least 25 percent through 2018, much faster than the average occupational field. The National Pharmacy Technician Association reports that theirs is one of “America’s 100 Fastest-Growing Jobs,” and the tenth-fastest-growing job for workers ages 16-24. Pharmacy Technician is also listed among “North Carolina’s Fastest Growing Jobs”, with an annual growth rate of 3.5 percent, according to “Career Choices in North Carolina (2009-2010),” published by the N.C. Employment Security Commission.

 

The one-year Pharmacy Technology diploma program is offered at VGCC’s main campus in Vance County. For more information, call Carla May at (252) 738-3482.

 

Above: VGCC Pharmacy Technology students Brittany Horton of Henderson and Lorenzo Ball of Warren County practice skills in the pharmacy lab on the college’s main campus in 2010. (VGCC photo)