Value - It's great to have it reinforced sometimes - what a TERRIFIC value for the dollar public education can be in ohio - especially at the community college level. Here at LCCC, we are lucky to have the support of our local community through a levy, plus the support of the state, as well as student tuition support. That helps keeps costs extremely affordable for a high-quality education. Our PTA program is estimated to cost about $6,600 for the entire two-year program. A student we know was just offered a place in a new Ohio private, for-profit, program. The cost of the program for 2 years as quoted to him? $38,000 What else can you say, but - WOW.
NEW APTA Guidelines: The APTA has released updated Guidelines regarding Student/New Graduate Employment Agreements. The PTA program at LCCC has incorporated these guidelines into written program policies.
The 2008 House of Delegates policies, Guidelines: Student/New Graduate Employment Agreements (HOD G06-08-08-09) assist students, new graduates and potential employers in negotiating agreements to provide financial or tuition assistance in return for contracted employment after graduation. The guidelines recommend that all parties seek approopriate legal advise ahead of time, and give suggestions about what agreements should contain.Please also note that it has always been the long-standing position and policy of the PTA Program at LCCC that student education is not best-served by a student fulfilling any part of their clinical interships in a facility where they work. Students are assigned to a specified variety of types of clinical sites during their internships (called practicums by course name) by program policy, and also to a variety of employers/sites/locations/instructors to best achieve the well-rounded education required of the entry-level clinician.
CONGRATS TO THE 17 NEW GRADUATES OF THE CLASS OF 2009!! You've shown tremendous strength, compassion, empathy, professionalism, personality, humor, skills, knowledge, friendship and so much more. We're proud of you all and we'll miss you.The NEW incoming class for Fall semester 2009 has been selected and notified, as have those who unfortunately, were not able to be offered a position. The selection committee works very hard on those decisions, and they are never easy. We offer our congratulations to those who will be joining us, extend our regards to those who must try again or choose a different path for themselves. Based on some telephone call questions I have received recently and another regarding a local TV news report that was described to me, I would like to clarify something for those who might be unclear. PTA programs are offered by an education program accredited by an agency or association recognized by the U.S. Department of Education or by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. The institution is authorized by law to provide a program of postsecondary education. The institution has been approved by appropriate authorities to provide the physical therapist assistant education degree program. Some priopritary or for-profit colleges have been able to seek and achieve the necessary accreditation at the national educational and Commision on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education levels in order to offer the PTA degree program. However, most health care facilities, private clinics, hospitals, continuing education providers, short-term vocational training providers, or other such entities are not suitably accredited, associate-degree granting colleges and universities capable of offering the PTA degree program on their own. When in doubt please refer to http://www.apta.org/ under the education section for a list of accredited PTA programs (or PT programs, if your preference is to become a physical therapist rather than a physical therapist assistant).Speaking of becoming a PTA, recent federal data from the US Department of Labor "Occupational Supply Demand System Data" indicates an estimated increase in need of 32.4% for PTA's over the years 2006 to 2016. The estimate includes both replacement jobs for those leaving the field and new growth in jobs and shows an average need for new PTA's of 2,730 per year across the country. A 32% growth rate is considered QUITE high, by the way! That's good news.The other side of the coin is that schools are doing an excellent job of keeping up with demand - PTA programs are currently producing 4,376 graduates per year. (So nationally, schools are producing roughly 1,600 MORE PTAs than current demand for new and replacement needs.) So we should be in good shape to meet any shortages. See the link for the data tables: https://mymail.lorainccc.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.occsupplydemand.org/OSD_DemandState.aspx?CLUSCODE=146A-08%26ST=ZZ%26PathNo=1%26sst=0
On a personal note, both John and Jim are in the process of completing the necessary coursework and application materials for starting their doctoral program.
