A U.S. national BMET (biomedical equipment technician) Apprenticeship Program recently launched by AAMI has gained a valuable new employer partner. TRIMEDX—an industry-leading, technology-enabled provider of clinical engineering, medical device cybersecurity, and clinical asset management solutions to healthcare systems—will be offering apprenticeship opportunities through the AAMI registered apprenticeship program (RAP) as soon as early 2022.

"At TRIMEDX, we pride ourselves on culture and training within our Associate Value Proposition," said Kristi McDermott, president of clinical engineering. "By investing in talent development and creating partnerships to grow associates' skills in the clinical engineering industry, this partnership provides both quality service to clients and increases associate competency and career pathways."

AAMI's BMET Apprenticeship Program, recognized by the U.S. Department of Labor, 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 and cover expenses for the requisite educational courses.

With its corporate office based in Indianapolis, Indiana, TRIMEDX partners with healthcare providers to optimize the management of their clinical assets at more than 4,500 locations across the U.S. and employs nearly 1,150 biomedical equipment technicians, called BMETs.

TRIMEDX's broad reach across the country is just one reason why Danielle McGeary, vice president of HTM at AAMI, is so thrilled to call them an employer partner for the fledgling BMET Apprenticeship Program. With the support of an industry leader like TRIMEDX, prospective BMETs will have more opportunities to get the hands-on experiences that are so necessary for this crucial field.

"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," said McGeary. "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 HTM pipeline the field so desperately needs right now."

Employers who take part in the program, McGeary added, benefit from having entry-level workers on their payroll they can train to their particular equipment and service specialties. "If an employer wants them to stay after the apprenticeship ends, they'll already be up to speed—they won't need retraining."

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