A U.S. national BMET Apprenticeship Program organized by AAMI has gained a new employer partner. Elite Biomedical Solutions (Elite), a healthcare technology management (HTM) service provider based in the U.S. Midwest, will be expanding their training opportunities with program support. They expect to take on two apprentices within the year, with plans to train additional talent as needed.
“With the launch of our own training program last year, this opportunity only seemed fitting,” says Amy Ward, director of customer support services at Elite. “We look forward to helping the next generation of BMETs.”
AAMI’s BMET Apprenticeship Program, recognized by the U.S. Department of Labor as a registered apprenticeship program (RAP), combines traditional education with up to 6,000 hours of on-the-job learning. Prospective BMETs are hired by program partners in their area, who then provide them with training and paid work experience, as well as cover expenses for the requisite educational courses.
Based in Cincinnati and offering three depot repair facilities in the Midwest, Elite Biomedical Solutions supports hospital biomed departments with new replacement parts, re-certified parts, and repairs that keep clinical equipment performing at optimal levels.
Through their Elite Training Program, Elite offers targeted device coursework, continued tech support, and the kind of hands-on experience that is crucial for building confidence and a career in the HTM field. Now, as a BMET Apprenticeship Program employer partner, Elite’s offerings are expanded to include valuable formal learning (including an IT/cybersecurity track) and three, industry-recognized credentials. Apprentices will study and acquire AAMI’s CABT certification for professionals entering the BMET field, a certification in IT Fundamentals, and finally become a Certified Biomedical Equipment Technician.
“With the certification being built right in, you know that this person has at least this minimum knowledge base, that they’re teachable, and they have a broad understanding of what their job is and what their responsibilities are,” says senior BMET Maggie Berkey, co-creator of the RAP and a member of the AAMI Technology Management Council’s executive committee. “It sets a bar of excellence for our industry, and that’s what we all want.”
Be Part of the Movement
Employers who take part in the program benefit from having entry-level workers on their payroll they can train to their equipment and service specialties. “If an employer wants someone to stay after the apprenticeship ends, they’ll already be up to speed—they won’t need retraining,” says McGeary.
Employer partners have access to free and discounted training curriculum and may qualify for special tax breaks. Apprentices gain valuable hands-on and tuition-free education for an in-demand profession.
“An apprentice could be someone who’s ready for a career change, has an interest in the field but doesn’t have the means or life flexibility to go to college at this point in their life, or it could be someone just out of high school or in high school,” McGeary adds. “This program is intended to bridge that gap to get them the training they need to be successful while concurrently helping to facilitate the strong healthcare technology management pipeline the field so desperately needs right now.”
