Nov. 13, 2024 When you think of accounting, what comes to mind? Maybe you picture someone sitting in front of a computer all day, shackled to a tedious and repetitive cycle of debits and credits. If that’s your mental picture…think again!  "Business runs on money. You have to know where it’s coming from and where it’s going. So accounting is an absolute essential,” said Felix Pereiro, head of the Business department at Grand Rapids Community College. “But here’s the exciting news. Technology advances, including artificial intelligence, have automated many of the tedious tasks. That means a smart, savvy person can get into the meat of the profession a whole lot faster.”  What does that include? According to Pereiro, the possibilities are almost endless.  “There’s a huge shortage of skilled people at accounting firms. Approximately 75% of our accountants are aging out. We have 340,000 fewer accountants now than we did in 2019. We’re also desperately short of certified public accountants (CPAs),” Pereiro said. “There’s been a 33% drop in the number of first-time test takers for the CPA exam. The top four regional accounting firms, as well as the top four national accounting firms, are coming to GRCC to recruit paid interns who will hopefully become future employees. They are aggressively seeking people for this profession.”  But that’s just the tip of the iceberg.  “Once you have accounting skills, the world opens up. Successful businesses of all sizes need savvy money strategists,” Pereiro said. “An entrepreneur has only a few minutes to make a compelling pitch. That includes how the business will raise cash, fund operations and make money. A publicly-traded firm must be able to demonstrate accurate valuation and know how to impact shareholder value. Any business needs to know its cash position and how to access capital sources for growth and profit. An accounting degree can lead to a fast-paced career in finance, business management, and a whole lot more.” Accounting is also a field that offers significant flexibility and travel options, with plenty of job security.  “You can work for a top accounting firm and travel the world doing  audits or international consulting. That could include intercompany price modeling, international tax matters for corporations, expatriate tax returns and more,” Pereiro said. “Remote work is the new normal. Therefore, you could choose to work from home, leveraging new technologies. In that role, you could do the books for one or more companies, or become a tax specialist. You could move anywhere in the United States and find work, because accounting is the cornerstone of business and there’s a shortage of skilled people.” For Pereiro, GRCC offers a unique value proposition in this high-demand field.  “We provide a cutting edge, affordable education. And education is the vehicle to escape poverty. I know, because I lived it,” Pereiro said. “Now my passion is to help students grab this opportunity with both hands and go as far as their dreams will take them.”  Learn more about the accounting program at GRCC.  This story was reported by Julie Hordyk.

Nov. 8, 2024 Think about the last time you had a health issue. As your provider attempted to figure out what was wrong, you most likely had some kind of diagnostic imaging test. That testing can happen in a hospital, urgent care, physician’s office or many other places. Diagnostic imaging is, in a word, everywhere.  There’s great job security for anyone who knows how to perform such tests. Earn a  radiologic technologist degree at Grand Rapids Community College and the employment world will open up to you. “Most patients cannot be diagnosed without imaging,” said Julie Lackscheide, program director. “Imaging is as much a standard diagnostic tool as lab work.” Radiologic technologists are in high demand for several reasons. The pandemic took a tough toll on health care workers. They retired in large numbers and many simply didn’t return. Now those positions need to be backfilled. But there’s even more to the story. “The State of Michigan changed the requirements for insurance reimbursement in March of 2024,” Lackscheide said. “Now anyone who performs an imaging test must be registered through the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT). That means many of the people who received on-the-job training can no longer perform this work unless they become registered radiographers.”  GRCC students gain the hands-on experience that will qualify them to sit for their ARRT certification upon graduation.  “Our students experience more than 1,400 hours of clinical work at multiple locations during their studies. They also practice during their on-campus lab classes,” Lackscheide said. “We have four X-ray machines plus five simulator tables. Our students practice on ‘phantom’ patients so they learn to correctly position people of all different shapes and sizes. By the time they graduate, students have had the repetition that allows them to work independently and efficiently in the profession.”  The  radiologic technologist degree is the foundation for other training. Once people have completed this program, they can also cross-train for additional diagnostic certificates, including  MRI ,  CT scans , mammography and more.  What’s the career outlook for radiologic technologists? “Our clinical rotations are like long job interviews. Our clinical partner sites say that GRCC graduates are prepared for independent work, and that’s a competitive advantage,” Lackscheide said. “Many students are hired at one of the locations where they did their clinical rotations. I also receive job postings from all over the state as well as from many parts of the country. These often come with lucrative signing bonuses. It’s not hard for a qualified person to find employment.”  In addition, the  ARRT certification is nationally recognized. Some states require an additional exam; however, most just have a fee to become registered in that state. That means this degree is portable. Students who are thinking about this degree will find that GRCC’s program is designed for real life. In addition to hands-on work and job preparation, GRCC also offers a condensed weekly schedule for students.  “We condense our classroom and clinical work into four days per week. That is incredibly helpful for our students, especially those who may be adult learners, returning learners or parents,” Lackscheide said. “They have one day per week to deal with life needs, such as doctor’s appointments, grocery shopping and more. We have found this substantially increases our attendance rates and decreases the chaos for students.”  Students who attend classes at  GRCC’s Lakeshore Campus in Holland also can benefit from the radiologic technologist program.  “All of the prerequisites for this degree can be completed at our Lakeshore Campus,” Lackscheide said. “After the first year, we also offer the specific radiologic technologist courses in a hybrid format. We do have clinical partners on the lakeshore and we offer the first choice of those locations to students from that area. It is very possible for a student to drive to Main Campus only one day per week depending on the semester.”  Learn more about the radiologic technologist program at GRCC. This story was reported by Julie Hordyk.