High School Students Earn Laboratory Technician Digital Credentials through SIUE Program
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Alternative Credit and Credentials Program has successfully certified two cohorts through their Laboratory Technician Alternative Digital Credential (ADC) Program. Individuals completing the program are well-positioned to begin careers in laboratory occupations such as food and beverage manufacturing, petrochemical manufacturing, chemical and biochemical industries.
Newly credentialed Edwardsville High School student Charles Pyle was drawn to the program because he was interested in understanding a STEM field.
“Using micropipettes for taking very precise measurements of liquids and playing with the dried ice to see how it bubbles in the waters and also how it goes from a constructed piece of solid ice to gas, Pyle explained as one of the most exciting moments during the program.
Shea Hastings, instructor for the Laboratory Technician Alternative Digital Credential, worked to help high school seniors and recent graduates earn their laboratory technician digital credential. Students at Madison High School and Edwardsville High School made up the two cohorts that recently concluded. During these cohorts, students learned valuable industry driven competencies like lab safety, basics of microbiology, applied math and science, quality assurance/control, and good documentation practices, in order to be prepared for careers with industry partners like ThermoFisher and Millapore Sigma. The program is continuously enrolling, and it has potential to provide grant funding to anyone in Madison, St. Clair or surrounding counties ages 18 and older who qualifies with a GED or high school diploma.
“The training delivered through SIUE’s digital badging program and industry-aligned credentials specifically target key competencies sought in our workforce, including scientific instruments, ultra-visible spectroscopy, high performance liquid chromatography and more,” said Matthew Chaidez of Shimadzu Scientific Instruments.
Alternative Digital Credentials (ADCs), also known as digital badges or microcredentials, demonstrate great promise as a strategy for closing the skills gap and supporting the alignment of industry skills with traditional and nontraditional higher education programs. This program has been made possible through a workforce training pilot seeking to rapidly upskill displaced workers through a series of stackable, non-credit ADCs leading to industry-aligned credentials.
For information on other community programming available through SIUE’s Online Services and Educational Outreach, visit siue.edu/educational-outreach/ or call 618.650.3210.
Photos: Laboratory Technician ADC Program participants (L-R) Diamond James and Charles Pyle.
(L-R) ADC Program instructor Shea Hastings helps participant Amanda Woolsey.
