SCCC vet assistant program to begin

NEWTON — Enjoy the rewards of working with animals. An exciting new Veterinary Assistant Program being offered through Sussex County Community College's Skylands Professional Training can help students make a difference in this field. The essential skills students will learn in this program will help them keep animals healthy, care for them when they are ill, and assist veterinarians in their offices.
The program begins on March 21 and ends on July 6 and takes place Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6-9:30 p.m. Individuals who are interested are urged to register as soon as possible.
This Veterinary Assistant program provides opportunities to individuals that will enable students to obtain the necessary knowledge and skills to succeed in an entry-level position in the field of veterinary technology. Through classroom lectures and hands on labs, students who complete this program would be prepared to assist veterinarians and veterinary technicians in providing quality animal care including: obtaining and recording patient information; the review of preparing patients, instruments and equipment for surgery; how to collect samples and perform certain lab procedures; dressing wounds; assisting in diagnostic and medical procedures; communicating with animal owners; and feeding and caring for animals.
Veterinary Assisting is a rewarding career in a growing field. According to the Occupational Handbook the demand for professional veterinary assistants has a 10% growth rate (as fast as average) from 2012-2022. Interested students should have a high school diploma or GED.
Although this program includes comprehensive classroom lectures and hands on labs; this program does not include a national or state certification and it does not include a clinical rotation as part of its overall objectives.
For more on this program, or a full listing of courses and programs offered through Skylands Professional Training, contact Dawn Smith at 973-300-2316 or email djsmith@sussex.edu for more information. Visit http://sussex.edu/skylands/ for additional course offerings.