By Rich Harbert
rharbert@wickedlocal.com
Source: Wicked Local Plymouth

PLYMOUTH

Desiree Silva had just about given up on her hopes to become a physical therapist assistant, when the brochure from Quincy College arrived in the mail last spring.

The Brockton woman could not take the time away from her family to travel to Boston for the nearest training program. But when Quincy College announced the accreditation of a new program for its new Plymouth campus, Silva jumped on the opportunity.

A graduate of Middleborough High School and East Carolina University, Silva is one of nine students in Quincy College’s new Physical Therapist Assistant program that prepares students for jobs in a lucrative and growing field.

“This program has been an absolute blessing for me and my classmates,” Silva said during ribbon-cutting ceremonies Wednesday marking the opening of the program’s laboratory.

According to Quincy College President Peter Tsaffaras, the school decided to locate the program at its Plymouth campus in Cordage Park because of a desire to meet needs for physical therapist assistants in the region.

The program is one of only six Physical Therapist Assistant programs in the state and is the only such program in Southeastern Massachusetts. Job placement rates for the state’s program has been 100 percent for several years, Tsaffaras said, and the trend is expected to continue.

Nationally, PTA jobs are expected to grow 22 percent by 2022, Tsaffaras said. By 2018, New England alone is expected to see a 21 percent increase or 3,500 jobs that carry average salaries of $57,000. “Not a bad way to start,” Tsaffaras told students.

The program covers five semesters over a two-year period. During that time, students will participate in three internships at area hospitals, clinics and schools. Students who complete the program earn associate’s degrees. They must then pass an exam for a state license.

Kevin O’Reilly, executive director of the Plymouth Area Chamber of Commerce, helped cut the ribbon, opening the new lab.

“They really have it figured out, what the community, our employers and the students need,” O’Reilly said. “The program will provide a new pathway for healthcare professionals for the town and the region at large, and it will give students the necessary skills to achieve gainful employment.”

Silva and her eight classmates joined O’Reilly, Tsaffaras and other college officials to cut the ribbon opening the physical therapist assistant lab.

“To have a small class is really intimate and allows us to have that one-on-one time with our professors. It’s so great that we can be hands on with them and they help us out in any way they possibly can,” Silva said. “I can’t wait for us all to graduate and become official PTAs.”

“It’s going to change your lives,” Tsaffaras said.