Laboratory Alliance is Business of the Year

Laboratory Alliance Honored as Business of the Year

Laboratory Alliance of Central New York was awarded for its work with middle and high school students by the Partners for Education & Business, Inc., at its annual awards ceremony held May 22 at the Rosamond Gifford Burnet Park Zoo. The company received the Business of theYear Award, recognizing its longtime commitment to community outreach and education.

Laboratory Alliance employees visited more than 17 local junior and senior high school career fairs during the 2007-08 school year to promote clinical laboratory science. In addi­tion, under the Collaborative School/Business Partnership, the staff spent eight weeks working with advanced placement biology students at Cicero-North Syracuse High School.

Now in its seventh year, the goal of this program is to have the students apply the knowledge they have learned in the course to the work environment, in this case, laboratory medicine. Other community outreach programs Laboratory Alliance is involved with include the MASH Camps for middle school students at area hospitals as well as participation in community and employer health fairs and expos.

Partners for Education & Business, Inc. is a consortium of Central New York school districts, businesses and employers, higher education institutions, government and community groups, all working together to blend the needs of business with the academic success of students.

Partners for Education & Business, Inc., works collaboratively with Syracuse University, the Metropolitan Development Association and other community groups to enlighten students on career options and to customize workforce training. It is committed to increasing the pool of eligible students and job seekers who will consider health careers and achieve the foundational skill levels required for these vocations. Participation provides valuable job shadowing experience for interested middle and high school students.

"Our involvement in Partners for Education & Business, Inc. is truly a collaboration where both the business and the school benefit. Students gain knowledge of careers, Labora­tory Alliance provides a worthwhile community service, and the program stimulates interest in laboratory medicine as a career," says Anne Marie Mullin, Vice President, Business Devel­opment and Marketing.