A new program at a Georgia college is helping prepare students to obtain occupational therapy jobs.
Twelve students are currently enrolled in the occupational therapy assistants program at Chattahoochee Technical College, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Traci Swartz, who directs the two-year associate's degree program, said that it is the first such public program in the Atlanta area. She added those with occupational therapy jobs are important to the community.
"Occupational therapy is a lesser-known healthcare profession than physical therapy. It isn't easy to define because OTs do so many different things and work in so many settings," she said. "They help individuals across their lifespans participate in all the things they want or need to do."
People with occupational therapy jobs often aid those with developmental disorders, stroke victims and other people in need of help with speech or mobility.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment for occupational therapists is expected to grow by 26 percent in the decade leading up to 2018. The federal agency notes that this is much faster than the average of all other occupations during that period.