Providing a comprehensive network of laboratory services has been challenging, as the NHLS has historically suffered severe skills shortages as it competes with major private laboratories for the best talent. This skills shortage is particularly hard-felt in the outlying rural areas. Having identified the need to improve the quality and quantity of the bio technology pool from which it could recruit, a strategic focus was placed on schools.
An intensive expo schedule including career open days, rocking future road shows and my career choice exhibitions were complied combined with a roadshow of presentations at schools around the country. A further 30% of schools received marketing material relating to the field along with bursary opportunities.
One of the initial main aims for this marketing partnership was to shift its image to one of that of a preferred employer by highlighting the diversity of exposure, as opposed to private laboratories.
"The emphasis on this 'feel good element' (in being able to positively contribute to the country's health care system) as well as the career advancement opportunities made perfect sense," says Brendan Powell, Isilumko Media's GM. "Furthermore, by registering medical technology as a scarce skill, we have contributed to an increase in university funding and resources and have generally raised the profile of the profession."
This marketing partnership has achieved an increase in brand awareness among this audience, introduced and motivated learners to biomedical technology as a career choice and aligned the brand and organisational objectives with the 'university culture'.
"These efforts have without a doubt entrenched the service as the employer of choice among biomedical technology students. It has also ensured that the Grade 12 learners who have been exposed to the campaigns are now familiar with the company and the medical technician and medical technology professions. The same opportunities lie in wait for the next generation of Grade 12 learners as these campaigns continue," says Powell.
Research among 1st and 2nd year students reveals that, for many of them, brand awareness started with the road shows; 71% of these students were exposed to the brand through one of the many channels used by the agency to reach learners at secondary school level. Of the same student sample, 97% expressed a desire to do an internship through NHLS.
Pre- and post-campaign assessments, measuring the level of impact of the partnership, reveal that 96% of undergraduate biomedical technology students saw the campaign on campus and the informative quality of the campaign was rated favourably by over 70%.
Sixty-two percent of students rated it as their preferred employer. This also comes through in the comparative analysis of the top students appointed by the service in 2006 versus 2009, which shows a 43% increase in the number of candidates who achieved distinctions. In 2006, private labs were the dominant choice for 90% of the country's top students but this has changed dramatically; as it has taken the lead in recruiting 60% of the top students in 2009.
Educator's response to the rural road show produced unanimous feedback as to the highly beneficial nature of the presentations, as the majority of the students and many of the educators were not aware of the service or biomedical technology as career option for their learners.
Furthermore, the marketing partnership has positively impacted on the volume and quality of first year applications in this field of study. Tshwane University of Technology (TUT), which reportedly has the largest biomedical technology department in the country, has recently had to change the department's operational structure to accommodate the increase in applications. "The applications have more than doubled in numbers and we are changing the interview and assessment procedure for 2012," says Suezet Pretorius, lecturer at the Department of Biomedical Sciences at TUT.
After the first road show in rural South Africa, post campaign research highlighted issues such as resources and funding hindering application, simple terminology misunderstandings and perceived barriers to entry posed by the application forms. In answer to these findings, Isilumko Media recommended the inclusion of various supplementary elements that would go beyond merely educating learners.
These include job shadowing programs through which Grade 12 learners are able to experience the laboratory environment before enrolling at their chosen tertiary institution; an annual bursary campaign and a big brother call centre program offering learners support and guidance through the process.
"The aggressive growth of the partnership over the years has seen the campaign evolve into the impactful recruitment drive that is today, addressing the skills shortage within the medical technology profession and providing a larger number and better quality employees for the national pathology service.
"With a marketing task of this magnitude and intricacy, there are many obstacles to overcome, but our committed team constantly refined our strategy to navigate the unpredictable rural terrain and ever-changing school/campus environment, ensuring fluidity between the multiple tiers of activity," concludes Powell.
