The COVID-19 crisis highlighted the importance of vaccines and demonstrated a need for effective and scalable training to ensure a well-trained workforce to meet global vaccine demand.
MIT, Merck, Quincy College, and Sanofi have teamed up to develop an integrated, modular, and scalable workforce training program. This educational content will be suitable for training new hires, reskilling workers already familiar with biopharmaceutical manufacturing, and providing targeted and specific context to individuals in support roles.
The content will be comprised of both online and hands-on components.
Online – six individual modules:
Hands-on – two training modules:
The development of an integrated and modular program will strengthen the pipeline of qualified candidates for vaccine manufacturing by providing the industry with standardized, scalable vaccine manufacturing workforce training that can also be leveraged to develop company-specific training.
Development of an integrated and modular program to enable scalable vaccine manufacturing workforce training.
Online training in biopharmaceutical manufacturing has a number of advantages, including scalability, reach, and modularity. Online courses scale and can reach larger student populations than in-person learning. Online training is able to meet the needs of individual learners and organizations. Asynchronous, modular education allows learners from all walks of life to engage with the content. Additionally, organizations with content requirements can use the specific sections and information pertinent to that requirement. Finally, online education can form the basis of a broader standard of foundational knowledge that is readily available. While hands-on training is much more difficult to scale, due to the high cost of capital and the need for relevant on-site facilities, the availability of developed and tested laboratory training SOPs for vaccine manufacturing, coupled with online content, will lower the barrier to scaling and transitioning hands-on training beyond the incumbent institutions.
Benefits to the students who complete the training include hands-on experience with industry relevant equipment and context relevant exposure to the background knowledge that will make them ideal candidates for vaccine manufacturing positions. These courses are anticipated to strengthen the pipeline of qualified candidates for vaccine manufacturing and can also be leveraged to develop company specific training.
Developed a six-unit online training course providing foundational knowledge of vaccine manufacturing, including cell culture, purification, analytical tools, mRNA vaccine production, and regulatory frameworks.
Created two hands-on laboratory modules focused on AAV biomanufacturing for viral-vectored vaccines and mRNA manufacturing, offering practical experience with industry-standard techniques and equipment.
Produced custom multimedia content, including graphics, videos filmed with actual equipment, and interviews with subject matter experts to enhance learner engagement and understanding.
Implemented integrated modular design for both online and hands-on components, enabling flexible use for new hires, reskilling professionals, and targeted training for support roles.
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Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Life Sciences Center
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
Quincy College
Sanofi
