The Community College of Rhode Island’s Center for Workforce and Community Education will begin offering a veterinary assistant training program this spring at the Knight Campus in Warwick. Prospective students can learn about the program during an orientation session at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 7 at the Knight Campus.

As more people welcome pets into their families, the demand for trained veterinary assistants continues to grow. Statistics from the U.S. Department of Labor projected an increase of employment of up to 35 percent over the period from 2006 to 2016.

In this new program, students will become prepared to assist in the care of animals in veterinary offices as well as shelters and animal hospitals and also will receive training in important office tasks and communicating with patients’ families. This program differs from veterinary technician programs, which require an associate degree and additional certification.

Students will complete 90 hours of classroom training during the 15-week course, which will run for the first time from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Saturdays from March 7 to July 25. Program modules will include units on professionalism and ethics; office and hospital procedures, including prescriptions; animal nursing, which covers medications, grooming, sanitation, feeding, safety and diseases; exam room procedures; surgical preparation and assisting; laboratory procedures and equipment; radiology; pharmacology; and urinalysis.

The program also includes a 30-hour externship to help facilitate valuable hands-on experiences. Students will receive a certificate of completion upon fulfillment of classroom and externship components.

The program cost is $1,800, and interested students can contact Sue Caressimo to enroll at scaressimo@ccri.edu or by phone at 455-6070.