Roche Diagnostics North America is partnering with Ivy Tech Community College on a workforce development initiative aimed at expanding the pipeline of medical laboratory professionals in Indiana, where employers are reporting significant demand for skilled laboratory workers.
The collaboration could provide a model for clinical laboratories and health systems struggling with persistent vacancies as experienced professionals retire and laboratory training programs face enrollment and capacity challenges.
According to Roche, 364 Indiana employers posted more than 1,635 openings for clinical laboratory professionals between January and May 2026. At the same time, more than 2,000 people currently working in the field in Indiana are age 55 or older, potentially adding to workforce pressures as those employees approach retirement.
The initiative grew out of discussions Roche held with healthcare customers, laboratory partners, and employers about difficulties recruiting and retaining qualified laboratory professionals.
“By listening to our customers and partners across Indiana, we heard clearly about the workforce challenges they face,” said Adria Harris, head of people and culture at Roche Diagnostics North America. “This partnership reflects Roche’s commitment to investing in the workforce infrastructure that ultimately supports better patient care and stronger healthcare systems.”
Scholarships and career awareness
During the first phase, Roche will fund an awareness campaign through the end of 2026 designed to introduce prospective students to medical laboratory careers. The company also will provide 50 scholarships of $1,000 each to students pursuing medical laboratory technology credentials at Ivy Tech during the 2026-2027 academic year.
A second phase could go further by directly connecting laboratory education with employment.
Roche and Ivy Tech are exploring a proposed Roche MedTech Fellows Program that would use an earn-and-learn model combining paid laboratory employment with Ivy Tech’s medical laboratory technology program. The initiative is envisioned for people with life sciences backgrounds, including students and recent graduates in biology, chemistry, microbiology, pre-medicine, and related fields.
Participants would gain hands-on laboratory experience while completing the education and training needed to enter the profession.
For clinical laboratory leaders, the initiative highlights a growing emphasis on partnerships between employers, diagnostic companies, and educational institutions to address staffing shortages. Such programs could help laboratories reach potential workers who might otherwise pursue other healthcare or life sciences careers, while paid training could reduce financial barriers that prevent some students from entering laboratory professions.
Roche is seeking participation from Indiana hospitals, health systems, laboratories, and other employers to help develop the proposed fellows program and provide workplace learning opportunities. If successful, the approach could offer another workforce-development strategy for laboratories facing an aging workforce and a limited supply of qualified applicants.
This article was created with the assistance of Generative AI and has undergone editorial review before publishing.
