The Cornerstone Dental Assistant Academy opened in Bethel Park, Pa., to meet growing demand for the position in the state, according to a Nov. 4 report from the Observer-Reporter.
John Hatfield Jr. and Amanda Newhouse, both dental assistants, began putting the program together in 2019. They received approval from the state Department of Education in August and welcomed their first class of students in September.
The 13-week program includes a 60-hour externship to complement classroom instruction and coursework.
Mr. Hatfield and Ms. Newhouse said they have observed several employment sites with openings for dental assistant jobs in the area, including one that listed more than 100 Pittsburgh job openings in one week.
"John and I personally are getting phone calls and emails from different doctors weekly, asking about our students," Ms. Newhouse said. "We can’t guarantee job placement with our program, but the probability of you landing a job during the program or after is pretty high."