Educating Biotechnicians for Future Industry Needs
Author: Patton, Madeline
Date: 2008-00-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Industry,Labor Force Development,Group Discussion,Community Colleges,Job Training,Educational Practices,Associate Degrees,Biotechnology,Agriculture,Grants,Professional Development,Conferences (Gatherings),Allied Health Personnel,Food,Education,Job Skills,Career Choice,Employed Women,Technology Education

How to strengthen technician education to meet the needs of the biotechnology industry was the question before the 50 people who participated in the "Educating Biotechnicians for Future Industry Needs" conference from April 28 to 30 in Scottsdale, Arizona. The participants were from higher education, secondary schools, industry, government, and professional organizations. The conference specifically addressed industry needs for the next five years within the areas of health, medical, agriculture, industrial and environmental biotechnology, and emerging areas such as biotechnology with microelectromechanical systems (BioMEMs) and nanotechnology (Bionanotechnology), and personalized medicine. The National Science Foundation (NSF) sponsored the conference through a grant to the American Association of Community Colleges, which represents more than 1,200 associate degree-granting institutions that enroll more than 12 million students--almost half of all U.S. undergraduates. The NSF regularly brings together scientists, educators, and other stakeholders to share their opinions on critical issues such as biotechnology workforce development. The NSF currently provides $16.3 million in support of biotechnology programs through its Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program. These initiatives include the ATE Resource Center in Biotechnology (Bio-Link) at the City College of San Francisco; and the Northeast Biomanufacturing Center and Collaborative (NBC[superscript 2]) at Great Bay Community College. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) also supports biotechnology workforce development through 25 awards in the President's High Growth Job Training Initiative and Community-Based Job Training Grants and 17 WIRED regions that have a focus on bioscience and biotechnology. In addition to the recommendations, the report summarizes key points from five panel discussions: health and medical, industrial and environmental, food and agriculture, education, and emerging issues. Panelists shared their opinions about how the biotechnology industry will grow during the next five years, the skills that technicians will require to meet workforce needs, and their experiences with promising educational practices. The small and large group discussions that followed each panel presentation led to the recommendations. The report is intended to guide community colleges and other educational institutions as they align their biotechnician education programs with anticipated workforce needs during the next five years, to inform funding organizations' efforts to support biotechnician education, to encourage stakeholders' involvement in biotechnician education programs, and to prompt individuals and organizations to carry out the recommendations developed during the conference.