My husband spent 30 years in the HVAC trade, and partially because of that, I have an appreciation for careers that are more hands-on. They can be a great fit for those who are not interested in a four-year college degree and enjoy working with their hands. As he got closer to retirement, however, there were fewer people entering the field, and there was a common refrain from employers in his field that I often hear from O&P facilities that are recruiting technicians—they have job openings, but there is a shortage of trained workers to fill them. This led employers to hire people with mechanical aptitude and interest and train them on the job to fill the need—preparing them to take any necessary certification tests as needed.
In this issue, we discuss the strategies educational institutions and employers are using to help fill a technician shortage and how technicians can embrace new processes and materials to protect them and the environment as they fabricate the devices O&P patients rely on.
Support authors and subscribe to content
This is premium stuff. Subscribe to read the entire article.
