St. Petersburg Collegiate High Schools To Launch Biomedical Engineering Technology Academy

TARPON SPRINGS, FL — St. Petersburg Collegiate High Schools will open a new academy devoted to biomedical engineering technology at the St. Petersburg College Tarpon Springs Campus next fall.

At the academy, students can complete an associate in science in biomedical engineering technology completely free while earning their high school diploma. The associate's degree trains students to meet the growing need for biomedical equipment repairers, who maintain the sophisticated medical devices that patients’ lives depend on.

A $9 million Future Florida Critical Workforce Needs Grant funded the addition of the BMET Academy. The grant supports workforce education programs in high-demand fields across the state.

Graduates of the academy will be prepared for a career in a hot job market, where they can earn an average salary of $49,910 in the United States, $47,130 in Florida and $46,620 in the Tampa Bay area.

“It’s called ‘critical needs’ for a reason, and these are good-paying jobs,” said Jackie Skryd, vice president of workforce development and corporate partnerships at SPC. “Our medical device field is upwards of $47,000 with just a certification, and if they get a four-year degree and some experience, it’s double that.”

The new academy joins SPC’s Collegiate High Schools system, which opened its first charter school in 2004 at the college’s Gibbs High School campus. A North County option in Tarpon Springs was opened in 2019, and the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) High School at the college’s Downtown Center launched this fall.

The St. Petersburg Gibbs and Tarpon Springs campus locations were designated as “A” schools by the state of Florida for the 2021-22 school year. The St. Petersburg Gibbs location has earned an “A” from the state every year since the school opened.

“SPC has always been proud of our dual enrollment offerings, which include our Collegiate High Schools,” said Catherine Kennedy, associate vice president for Accelerated, Honors, International & UPC at SPC. “It is exciting to expand access now with the BMET Academy. This will allow students to simultaneously earn high school and college credentials for a faster track to employment at no cost to them or their families. It is another way SPC continues to serve its community.”

The associate's degree in biomedical technology engineering focuses on technology like cybersecurity and electronic hardware used in medical devices, such as defibrillators, ventilators, patient monitors and imaging machines. Students take classes in electronics, computers, networking and biology.

“Many of us have sat and watched hospital monitors display the status of ourselves or our loved ones at some point. Or we have seen these monitors on television depicting their use in saving lives,” said Sidney Martin, SPC’s program director of engineering technology. “Each monitor, life support equipment and other crucial devices must work whenever needed. Our students in biomedical engineering technology are those individuals who keep equipment operational. Each biomedical engineering technology graduate participates in providing health care to patients and participates as a member of the caregiving team, even though they do not often work directly with patients.”

The BMET Academy will help build a pipeline of personnel who will work in diverse settings that include health care, industry, research and educational institutions.

“Employment opportunities for technicians are expected to expand greatly in the next decade,” said Natavia Middleton, dean of natural sciences and engineering at SPC. “This program uses a combination of cutting-edge technical tools and experienced staff to help students learn. It will not only support students by providing resources to excel, but will also create practices that will expand access to the health care field in the future.”

Brian Bell, lead faculty for SPC’s biomedical engineering technology programs, noted the strong career preparation the program provides.

“You get to explore health care technology with hands-on learning experiences, and take part in an internship, industry tours, professional association meetings and technical workshops by industry leaders in the manufacturing of medical technology,” he said. “With the credentials you earn at SPC, you will be able to work in hospitals and at medical device companies, often in the information technology or electronics support technician groups in medical environments.”

The degree includes three optional stand-alone certificates, which depend on the student’s area of focus, and transfers to SPC’s bachelor’s degree in technology development and management or the bachelor of science in health care engineering technology management at Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis.

“We are really excited about creating another accelerated option for students at St. Petersburg Collegiate High School North Pinellas,” said Ryan Halstead, principal of Collegiate High Schools North Pinellas. “The BMET program will provide students another option to pursue career opportunities through education or advance their education opportunities through a career pathway.”