Media Contact: Cherie Yurco; newsteam@dcccd.edu
For immediate release — Aug. 24, 2022
(DALLAS) — Dallas College has earned recognition from the ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB) for three additional Industry-Recognized Apprenticeship Programs (IRAPs): Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Technologist, Sterile Processing Technician and Health Care Supply Chain Professional.
The American National Standards Institute’s stamp of approval recognizes Dallas College’s IRAPs as offering high-quality, work-based learning opportunities to close skill gaps among the underserved and those in job transition with a quick, quality pathway to a career. IRAPs also provide health care organizations with more effective training for current workers, increased productivity and curated recruitment of new talent. Health systems, hospitals and outpatient centers can achieve improved employee engagement and retention as well as better organizational and patient outcomes.
“These IRAPs are a significant contribution to our regional and national talent supply chain in health care, meeting the demands of the job market while ensuring apprentices are fully skilled and competent in these occupations,” said Dr. Pyeper Wilkins, vice chancellor for workforce and advancement at Dallas College.
All three earn-and-learn programs combine rigorous on-the-job training with technical and classroom study for both entry-level training and upskilling or reskilling for the current workforce.
The MRI Technologist IRAP prepares apprentices to operate MRI scanners and create diagnostic images at health care facilities that include hospitals, clinics, imaging centers and other locations. This apprenticeship culminates in an industry-recognized American Registry of Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists (ARMRIT) credential, launching a viable career in magnetic resonance imaging.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects approximately 20,800 openings for radiologic and MRI technologists each year over the next decade. Median annual wages for MRI technologists are $77,360.
The Sterile Processing Technician IRAP responds to the nation’s increased need for sterile processing technicians (also referred to as central service technicians or medical equipment preparers), who play a critical role in preventing infection by sterilizing, cleaning, processing, assembling, storing and distributing medical supplies. Apprentices train at hospitals and clinics, and prepare to sit for the Certified Registered Central Service Technician (CRCST) exam.
With advancements in medical technology and increased surgeries, there is a high demand for sterile processing technicians. According to the BLS, the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metropolitan area is one of the larger employers, with a local annual mean wage of $42,190.
The Health Care Supply Chain Professional IRAP prepares participants for work in a high-impact occupation tackling global supply chain issues in health care facilities such as hospitals, clinics and long-term care organizations. This IRAP responds to the nation’s increased need to manage the flow of goods and services. Successful apprentices earn certified planning and inventory management (CPIM) and certified supply chain professional (CSCP) credentials. Due to enormous demand, credentialed workers in this field can quickly move up from entry-level to senior positions.
Training is key as supply chains become increasingly global and complex, and continue to be disrupted and transformed by technology. According to the Association for Supply Chain Management (ASCM), the global supply chain management market is expected to grow 11.2% from 2020 to 2027.
IRAPs are developed with funding from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Scaling Apprenticeship Through Sector-Based Strategies grant program, and in partnership with Bufflehead Strategies, LLC; Workcred, LLC; and the American Society for Health Care Human Resources Administration (ASHHRA). The MRI Technologist IRAP was developed in partnership with the Tesla Institute of MRI Technology and ARMRIT. The Sterile Processing Technician IRAP was developed in partnership with the Healthcare Sterile Processing Association (HSPA). The Health Care Supply Chain Professional IRAP was developed in partnership with ASCM. The intent is to scale IRAPs across the country to health systems and outpatient facilities.
For more information about IRAPs, interested students and employers may contact Amy Mackenroth (amy.mackenroth@dallascollege.edu).
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About Dallas College
Dallas College, formerly the Dallas County Community College District, was founded in 1965 and consists of seven campuses: Brookhaven, Cedar Valley, Eastfield, El Centro, Mountain View, North Lake and Richland. Dallas College offers online learning and serves more than 125,000 credit and continuing education students annually. Dallas College also offers dual credit for students in partner high schools and early college high schools throughout Dallas County. Students benefit from partnerships with local business leaders, school districts and four-year universities, and Dallas College offers associate degree and career/technical certificate programs in more than 100 areas of study, as well as a bachelor’s degree in education. Based on annual enrollment, it is the largest community college in Texas.
About ANAB
The ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB) is the largest multidisciplinary ISO/IEC 17011 accreditation body in North America, with comprehensive signatory status across the multilateral recognition arrangements of the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) and International Accreditation Forum (IAF). The ANAB accreditation portfolio includes management systems certification bodies, calibration and testing labs, product certification bodies, personnel credentialing organizations, forensic test and calibration service providers, inspection bodies, police crime units, greenhouse gas validation and verification bodies, reference material producers and proficiency test providers. ANAB is a wholly owned subsidiary of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), a private, not-for-profit organization dedicated to supporting the U.S. voluntary standards and conformity assessment systems and strengthening their impact, both domestically and internationally, including by administering procedures and criteria for accreditation of conformity assessment programs and encouraging organizations to prepare and submit such programs for accreditation.