Empowering Students Through Education | Minneapolis Community & Technical College

Pharmacy Technician Program at Minneapolis College Prepares Students for Healthcare Careers

Working collaboratively alongside licensed pharmacists, pharmacy technicians are vital to the medical field by helping distribute prescription drugs safely and accurately. To satisfy growing employment needs within the sector, Minneapolis College’s Continuing Education and Workforce Development (CEWD) division collaborates with Project for Pride in Living (PPL) to ready individuals for jobs in this profession.Minneapolis College partners with Project for Pride in Living (PPL) to prepare students for careers in the field.

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Created to tackle expanding labor demands, this 13-week curriculum supplies learners with the specialized expertise required to assist pharmacists through medication preparation and distribution, inventory oversight, and customer care. Classes are held online through CEWD and in person at PPL. In addition to 78 classroom hours of comprehensive coursework, students complete an internship at a local retail pharmacy or healthcare facility to gain hands-on experience before entering the workforce as registered pharmacy technicians, where graduates earn an average of $24 per hour.

Holistic Training and Diverse Student Pathways

The curriculum blends technical training with essential workplace and life skills designed to foster professionalism and long-term career success. Amy Shapiro, a customized training representative for CEWD, notes that the fast-paced program fits easily into adult schedules while building community connections.

Instructor Semira Salihovic, who joined Minneapolis College in 2018 after teaching at Dakota County Technical College, values the diverse backgrounds of her students. Enrollees range from recent high school graduates and individuals changing careers to newcomers to the country and those who have experienced homelessness.

“Students represent a wide range of backgrounds, from recent high school graduates and individuals individuals returning to school to pursue new career paths to newcomers to the country and those who have experienced homelessness. By combining technical training with essential life skills, this program provides students with the tools they need to succeed. There’s nothing else quite like it.”

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For graduates like Skye Randall, a graduate of Loring Nicollet High School in Minneapolis who discovered the program while between jobs, the holistic approach provided support for personal and financial stability alongside career readiness. Randall completed an internship at CVS and secured a position in the pharmacy at Abbott Northwestern Hospital prior to graduating, where they continue to build professional skills in a fast-paced hospital environment. Randall’s success is shared within their family, as their sister is a graduate of the Sterile Processing Technician program, another career pathway offered through PPL and CEWD.