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Roche and Ivy Tech Collaborate to Strengthen Indiana's Medical Laboratory Workforce

A Strategic Initiative to Address Workforce Shortages

On July 30, 2026, Roche Diagnostics North America unveiled a promising partnership with Ivy Tech Community College, aiming to address the pressing workforce shortages in Indiana's medical laboratory technology sector. This collaboration is critical, particularly given that medical laboratory professionals are essential to healthcare, impacting approximately 70% of clinical decisions based on laboratory results.

The partnership emerged from extensive discussions among healthcare providers, laboratory partners, and industry authorities who acknowledged ongoing challenges in recruiting and retaining skilled professionals in the medical laboratory field. In Indiana alone, over 1,635 job openings for clinical laboratory personnel were documented between January and May 2026, with a significant number of incumbents approaching retirement age.

Phase 1: Career Awareness and Scholarships

The first phase of this partnership focuses on enhancing awareness of medical laboratory careers, alongside financial support initiatives like the Roche Diagnostics Corporation Scholarship. This initiative will launch in the 2026-2027 academic year, providing fifty students with $1,000 scholarships each to pursue Medical Laboratory Technology credentials at Ivy Tech campuses.

Adria Harris, Head of People & Culture at Roche Diagnostics North America, emphasized the importance of addressing workforce challenges through strategic investment in education: “By listening to our customers and partners across Indiana, we heard clearly about the workforce challenges they face. This partnership reflects Roche's commitment to investing in the workforce infrastructure that supports better patient care and stronger healthcare systems.”

In conjunction with the scholarship program, Roche is also financing a campaign to improve understanding of the medical laboratory profession among potential students, fostering a pipeline of skilled professionals to meet growing industry demands.

Phase 2: The Proposed Roche MedTech Fellows Program

Moving beyond initial efforts, Roche and Ivy Tech are developing the Roche MedTech Fellows Program, an innovative initiative that seeks to integrate paid employment with hands-on learning experiences within the framework of Ivy Tech's Medical Laboratory Technology program. This earn-and-learn model aims to minimize financial barriers while providing participants real-world training in a lab environment.

The program targets individuals with backgrounds in life sciences, encouraging recent graduates and students pursuing degrees in biology, chemistry, microbiology, and related fields to acquire invaluable technical skills alongside their academic achievements. Hospitals and healthcare systems in Indiana are invited to participate in shaping this initiative, as their involvement will be pivotal in delivering practical learning opportunities for participants.

Conclusion

This strategic partnership between Roche and Ivy Tech signifies a significant step towards bolstering Indiana’s healthcare workforce. With a combination of scholarships, awareness campaigns, and hands-on training, the initiative aims to attract, retain, and cultivate the next generation of medical laboratory professionals, ultimately enhancing patient care across the state. The collaborative efforts reflect a forward-thinking approach to remedying a critical shortage that affects not only Indiana's healthcare system but the broader medical landscape.

Interested organizations can learn more about how they can get involved in the Roche MedTech Fellows Program by contacting Ivy Tech community representatives.

To stay informed about the progress of this partnership and learn more about Roche and Ivy Tech's offerings, please visit their respective websites for additional details.