Butler County Community College in August will launch a nine-month patient care technician certificate program in response to a regional and national shortage of people able to provide basic nursing care under the supervision of a licensed nurse, the school said in a news release this week.

Students completing BC3’s program will have earned American Medical Certification Association certifications in patient care, phlebotomy and EKG technician, and enter a nursing assistant marketplace expected to see an increase in jobs of 11 percent through 2026, according to the U.S Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Graduates will be prepared to obtain entry-level positions in hospitals, clinics, rehabilitation centers, physicians’ offices, long-term care units and in home-health occupations. Annual salaries average $26,590.

The program will be held on BC3’s main campus in Butler Township from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays and/or Thursdays from Aug. 15 through May 23, 2019. Instruction will be delivered in 290 hours of a traditional classroom setting, online and through labs; and through 220 hours of clinical experience. Tuition is $5,999, which does not include textbooks and scrubs.

Applicants must possess a valid driver’s license and health insurance or a signed waiver. They must also complete a physical that includes lab work and have current immunizations. Students must also successfully complete a drug screening and certified background check.