Bridging the Gap: A Biopharmaceutical Processing Workforce Development Continuum

This proposal seeks to increase training capacity to address the critical shortage of an appropriately trained entry-level workforce in the biomanufacturing industry. Through this proposal, three distinct academic partners (Montgomery and Bucks County Com

Project status

100% Completed

Industry Need

There is a critical shortage of an appropriately trained entry-level workforce in the biomanufacturing industry.

Solution

Leveraging the state-of-the-art Jefferson Institute for Bioprocessing (JIB) and with input from an industry task force, Montgomery Community College, Bucks County Community College, and Thomas Jefferson University joined together to developed an innovative, cost-effective NIIMBL Education Platform (NEP) to provide a way for students to transition into entry-level bioprocessing industry positions while offering transcript-able and transferable academic credits.

The NEP includes both cross-disciplinary educational curriculum and an experiential component. The NEP curriculum aims to:

Align community college and university curricula
Equip participants with the knowledge and hands-on skills, provided in the JIB’s simulated GMP facility, needed to prepare them for immediate hire into the workforce in the biopharma industry
Offer a clear pathway from community college to industry, with a roadmap identifying additional opportunities for both continuing education and career advancement

Impacts

Demonstrated proof-of-concept with a cohort of 10 students to validate the model

Despite COVID- 19 pandemic, 80% of student cohort placed either in industry or pursuing higher education in bioprocessing/ biotechnology

The creation of an articulation agreement between TJU and MCCC, so that an MCCC student can progress to Jefferson University BS in Biotechnology with a concentration in the Biomanufacturing program