Looking for a job? There's a shortage of medical lab technicians

The economy continues to recede, leaving massive job losses in its wake.

But while layoffs are widespread they are not across the board. There are some industries actually hurting for new hires.

Erin MacIntosh of Minnetonka has been working as a clinical laboratory scientist at Abbott Northwestern Hospital for about a year now.

She says, "I work in the blood bank and we do a lot of testing on the blood."

When she made her career switch from elementary school teacher to clinical laboratory scientist, it was for her mother, who died of leukemia, a cancer of the blood.

MacIntosh says, "My mother went through a lot of testing when she was sick and it was very difficult to diagnose her."

That career switch was a good move because now she is working in one of the more stable jobs fields in a tough economy.

She says, "I feel very secure."

Nationwide there's a big shortage of clinical lab technicians and scientists.

Michelle Briski is the Medical Laboratory Technician program director at St. Paul College.

She says, "I came from a health care facility Tuesday morning where they told me they had 3 openings just for the 2-year degree level person in their facility alone."

Briski says a grant just over $3 million from the Department of Labor is helping Minnesota schools like St. Paul College and medical providers like Allina to boost expensive two and four year training programs so that more people can be trained in the field.

By the year 2016, there are expected to be more than 2,000 job openings in Minnesota.

Nationwide, there could be more than 91,000 job openings. Despite the shortage, not all medical providers are filling all open positions right now.

Vice President of Laboratories for Allina, Rick Panning says, "Some organizations like us are still replacing some of our positions when they open up.

Some we may be waiting on for a while." But Panning also says, when the economy improves, more lab scientists like MacIntosh will get hired.

He says lab work is key when diagnosing and treating patients.

He says, "Doctors rely on it everyday. Nurses rely on them everyday." MacIntosh says, "It's very rewarding. I love it."

For more information on the Medical Lab Technician program at St. Paul College, click here.

Other institutions involved in the Department of Labor lab grant program include North Hennepin Community College, South Central Community and Technical College and Argosy University in addition to Winona State University and the University of Minnesota.

By Renee Tessman, KARE 11 News

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