Ventura College has unveiled an impressive new 2,000-square-foot facility that promises to revolutionize veterinary technician education in the region. The Lokahi Veterinary Technology Lab provides students with a realistic clinical environment for hands-on training, eliminating the need to travel outside Ventura County to gain essential skills.
The facility, designed to mirror a real-life animal hospital, features specialized equipment including X-ray machines, a surgical suite, and wet tables for practices like dentistry and anesthesia monitoring. Students are already practicing critical techniques such as bandaging and other clinical procedures in this state-of-the-art environment.
“I’ve always wanted to get my license,” said Heather Hartman, a Ventura College student. “But having the barrier of having to go to a different city or driving really far, and then still being able to work. With this program, I have the opportunity to work and be able to pay rent and still get my schoolwork done. I think this is the only one in Ventura County.”
The training facility was built with donations to the Ventura-based Lokahi Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to strengthening the local veterinary workforce. The innovative design supports a hybrid teaching approach, with lecture space upstairs and practical labs downstairs.
“How we designed this facility was to be able to accommodate a hybrid method of teaching,” explained Dr. Janis Shinkawa, CEO of the Lokahi Foundation. “The upstairs is a lecture space, and downstairs is the wet labs. We wanted to have a surgery unit as well so that we can do surgical techniques. The wet tables are designed for dentistry, anesthesia monitoring, you name it. Our partnership with Ventura College has been phenomenal and very impactful to our area to help put more veterinary assistants and our registered veterinary technicians out into the community.”
Meeting Critical Industry Needs
Ventura College’s Veterinary Technology Associates degree holds a prestigious position as one of only 223 programs nationwide accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association. The new facility enhances an already strong program and addresses a significant workforce need in the veterinary field.
“You can see the quality of this particular lab,” said Anne Paul King, executive director of the Ventura College Foundation. “It’s state of the art. It’s what these students are going to see in the industry. We have X-ray machines, we have a surgical suite. This is a veterinary hospital. The primary use of this facility is for Ventura College’s Veterinary Tech program. It’s a wonderful way to fulfill the high need for registered veterinary techs in this community. Our students need good quality jobs and the industry needs them.”
The program is particularly valuable for students facing economic challenges. King highlighted that many students cannot afford to travel outside the county for education, with 55% experiencing food insecurity and 29% dealing with housing insecurity. Additionally, 40% of students are the first in their families to attend college.
“This is a game changer,” King emphasized, addressing how the program creates accessible pathways to stable careers in veterinary medicine.
For animal lovers throughout Ventura County, the program means that the next generation of skilled veterinary technicians will soon be available to provide compassionate care to beloved pets, equipped with training on cutting-edge equipment and techniques.
References:
Source: https://www.kclu.org/2025-04-22/the-high-tech-head-start-for-future-veterinary-technicians-in-ventura-county