Presentation givento Jefferson County Workforce Center on needs of area bioscience companies and recommendations for how the WFC can better meet those needs.

1. Good Morning Thomas Suggs

4. Source: Colorado Bioscience Roadmap, 2008

5. Note the heavy proportion of medical technicians and research-based jobs Source: Colorado Bioscience Roadmap. 2008

7. Source: Colorado Bioscience Roadmap, 2008 * An LQ greater than 1.0 for a particular industry indicates that the region is relatively concentrated, whereas an LQ less than 1.0 signifies a relative under-representation. An LQ above 1.20 denotes employment concentration well above the national average.

8. Source: Colorado Bioscience Roadmap, 2008 Colorado Bioscience Employment and Establishments by Metropolitan Area, 2002-2006

9. How many Bioscience companies are in Jefferson County?

11. What kinds of jobs are available in Bioscience?

13. Industries with similar practices or principles can trade employees who have the requisite training, but even similar fields have such differences in terminology and methodology that students/employees have difficulty moving from one to the other. However, even a rudimentary introduction to bioscience can help IT staff (for example) move into the field. Cross-Matching

14. Source: Colorado LMI Gateway, 2009

15. Source: Colorado LMI Gateway, 2009

16. Source: Council for Adult and Experiential Learning, 2007

17. What skills are going to be required by present and future employees?

20. “ Foundation skills in science, math, and communications are the most important workforce characteristics to the Bioscience industry. Project management and manufacturing skills are also highly valued. The Bioscience industry is experiencing a growing demand for workers with specific certifications and high ethical and security standards to meet the needs of their clients.” Source: Development Research Partners, 2007

24. The Disconnect Between Traditional Education and Industry Needs The problem with current academic training is that classroom experience supports texts, not real-life environments and expectations. Occasionally, classroom experience is opposite of actual industrial needs. Students with four-year degrees may not be prepared for workforce any better than people with two-year degrees or certifications. Reverse articulation is more common than in the past.

25. Lab skills are most frequently learned in CHE 101/102, which have nothing to do with bioscience or biotech industry. And little or none are taught in biology classes. Typically students are not given nearly enough repetitions, and all work is prepared for students, so they do not learn about prep or cleanup. Not enough problem-solving or trouble-shooting in regular classroom. “Industry vs. academic standards.” Good grades vs. mastering skills. Learning a skill vs. performance.

26. Educational Opportunities and Training So where can jobseekers turn in the Denver Metro area for education, training, or professional development? Bio- Link.org Website -- Colorado Biotechnology in Education & Industry

29. What are business saying?

30. The classic internship is not popular with bioscience companies. Usually, 6-18 months are required before an employee is useful to company. Interns leave in 3-6 months, so why bother? Companies need someone who can be productive and lucrative as quickly as possible. Smaller companies are too busy with “A” projects to worry about interns, new hires with no experience. Larger companies may be better set up for this, but they may hire only one or and two at a time. Finally, security issues (vias, green card, IP, etc.) can create problems.

31. Only 10-15% turnover in bioscience. More turnover with BS/MS than with an AA. Talent is often recruited from within the company or from within the industry, especially for higher-level or engineering positions. Opportunities will appear in the next 3-5 years. The exact timeframe is unknown because retirees are staying around longer. CRCs are not popular with bioscience companies.

32. So where do we start?

33. Recruitment – high school students, current industry employees, adults changing careers, inadequately trained BS/MS graduates. Two-year or certification programs do not necessarily need to matriculate into a four-year program, but they can. In the end, that is not the ultimate goal of the former. Recruitment tools – web site, classroom presentations, letters/mailings, media, high school counselors. Note : High school counselors often do not recommend that talented students attend two-year schools. They are pushing for them to attend four-year institutions.

35. On-line, non-credit programs are becoming more available. Also immersive learning systems (VR, gaming) have begun to appear as an alternative to traditional classroom instruction. Consider replication opportunities. Once industry is on board, it will expect a quality program and will bail if one is not delivered, or if the graduates are not quality. (Typically 3-5 years to put together a quality program, and even then only a handful of grads will be produced at first.)

37. One last topic to cover…

38. How should the Workforce Development Center best use its resources and ARRA funding to address the needs of Bioscience companies in the Tri-County region? The 2.2 - 2.7 million dollar question:

41. Thank You.