Three New Bio-1 Projects Are Approved
- Training Program for Career Counselors
The American Chemical Society (ACS) Department of Career Management and Development will develop a training program for career counselors. This program is designed to help career counselors work more effectively with people looking for science-related careers. The proposed content is in two main formats: one half-day facilitated workshop and the other e-learning. The materials will focus on careers in three main tracks: biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and green technology providing a high level overview and useful tools practitioners need to assist job seekers in the Bioscience disciplines. The underlining issue is that career counselors and scientists, don’t always speak the same language. The lively interactive sessions will re-tool career counselors to quickly meet job seeker needs. The comprehensive web based e-learning program will be hosted on the ACS website. The content will be prepared and compiled by practitioners in the Bio, Pharma, and Green space, both from industry and academia, and program content will be reviewed by an employer advisory committee that represents each of the disciplines.
- Bioscience Boot Camp
Through a consortium including Brookdale Community College, Monmouth County WIB, and Fort Monmouth Resource Center, a “Bio-Science Boot Camp” course will be developed. The target audience will be Procurement, IT, Regulatory and Project Management professionals who are currently employed by the federal government at Fort Monmouth. These employees have years of experience working with federal contracts, budgeting and regulations. Their talents and skills are relevant to the Biotechnology, Biopharmaceutical and Medical Device industries but they do not have a command of the underlying science that supports the industries.
The boot camp will cover the basic science which is the driving force behind the Biotechnology and Biopharmaceutical and Medical Device industries. The Science boot camp will provide the students with the language to understand the current literature and communicate with the scientists. It will Include a look at current and future developments as well as needs in the industry. The Science Boot Camp program will include intensive industry specific terminology, case studies in drug development and will feature guest lecturers from the field. The Boot Camp will provide an intensive opportunity to learn from area experts, obtain information about resources and obtain one-on-one mentoring.
- NeuroNetwork: a partnering initiative to assess and provide for company needs in New Jersey
Einstein’s Alley Group LLC, The BioScience Collaborative will develop this initiative. Within the WIRED Bio-1 counties and across New Jersey, a wealth of resources are already in place to conduct research, commercialize products, and educate workers in the areas of neuroscience drugs, devices, diagnostics, instrumentation, tissue regeneration, etc. This is a key capability of the region, and already significant public
and private investment has been devoted to building institutions and profitable companies.
By establishing and building upon existing relationships, a partnership can be forged that will enhance the region’s workforce, profile, and collaboration in addressing disease. The NeuroNetwork initiative will identify, survey, and stimulate collaborations among existing and emerging resources with a focus on matching skillsets required for cutting edge research and commercialization to educational institutions that are already
providing needed training. In addition, information generated by the project will inform educators and support their outreach to incumbent and potential employees who will benefit from career growth.
