What is behind the widespread shortage of technicians, and what can be done to reverse it? It’s a complicated question many organizations are asking but no one has yet been able to answer. In 2021, OVMA established a task force to investigate this worsening trend, and in the past year, it has dug deep into the root of the problem in an effort to better understand its complexities and identify potential solutions.
In this three-part series, Fully Vetted delves into the issue with members of the OVMA Technician Recruitment & Retention Task Force.
In part one, they delve into the history of the technician shortage and the factors that are driving it, discuss how it has affected the profession as a whole, and explain how the COVID pandemic has only exacerbated the problem.
Part two explores a trio of unique but intertwined perspectives on the same issue—those of the veterinary technician, the practice owner, and the educator. The panelists also delve into the results of a task force-led survey, focusing on reasons technicians cite for staying at or leaving a practice—or the profession altogether.
The final episode of the series looks at the current state of technician education and training; ideas for the future; and ways veterinarians and practice owners can improve the technician experience to keep them happy, healthy, and employed.
