Reports on Chemical Technology Education and the Technician Workforce

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, over 350,000 technicians, analysts, and related chemical professionals are employed in the United States, and that number is projected to grow 3.1% through 2014. Technicians will be expected to be more flexible, adaptable, and autonomous than ever.

In an effort to help technicians meet the changes and challenges ahead, ACS launched the Equipping the 2015 Chemical Technology Workforce initiative to:

• Raise awareness of the changing needs regarding technician education and professional development
• Highlight opportunities for stakeholders within the chemistry enterprise to work collaboratively to meet those needs
• Provide mechanisms for increasing involvement of current and future technicians in the American Chemical Society from local to national levels

The box to the right contains summaries of presentations given at the fall 2006 ACS national meeting. The summaries highlight resources available from industry, academia, professional societies, and workforce organizations, as well as ways to leverage the resources to meet the needs of technicians of all degree and experience levels.

Read Critical Issues and Effective Practices of Chemistry-Based Laboratory Programs , a comprehensive report based on the 2004 ChemTechLinks conference and a national survey of chemical technology programs.