1. Workforce Readiness for Bioscience Emerging Technologies
AWIS, Austin 2015
Sulatha Dwarakanath Ph.D
Director, C3BC program
Austin Community College

2. ACC Past and Future
Dr. Linnea Fletcher started a program that included training for 2 and 4 year students and dual credit for high school students with help of Bio- Link
Extended 3 year ATE grant to 5 years
Led to to a full Biotech program
As a result, we have received state funding for the following:
Training and certificate of all high school Advanced Biotechnology teachers in Texas
Establishing the Biotech Mentoring Network Submitted a Regional ATE Bio-Link Grant this October for Texas and Kentucky
Received $4.9 million Emerging Technology Fund (ETF) grant to establish a Contract Service Organization in cGMP Biomanufacturing and Advanced Manufacturing at the ACC Mall (with a depot)
Received $650K/year (renewable) Wagner Payser grant for training

3. What are the Emerging technologies?
Medical Devices
Innovative Biomanufacturing
Therapeutics
Natural Therapeutics
Regenerative Medicine
Many More………………

4. How does ACC Keep up?? New Emerging Fields and Course Development
Grants (federal and State)
Advisory Board made up of local industry experts
Work with area companies
Internship
CRO
Now incubator
Open our equipment to the industry free of charge
Hire professors who are working in the industry
Part of national networks such a Bio-Link, NBC2, C3BC
Work with TSSB to setup skill standards

5. Are We Ready?
Skills assessment
Eg. Medical Device company

6. Skill set required Biology/Biotechnology Chemist
Biophysicist/Biochemist
Instrumentation/System Engineer
Software Engineer
QA/QC
Clinical Trials Expert

7. Job Duties Biology/Biotechnology: Chemist:
DNA isolation/manipulation/Recombinant DNA Technology/Search NCBI Databases
Microbiology preparation
Immuno assays (ELISA)
Chemist:
Inorganic Chemistry (preparative)/purification
Chromatography
Biophysicist/Biochemist/Material Science:
Knowledge of SEM/TEM
Membrane technology

8. Job Duties Instrumentation/System Engineer Software Engineer
QA/QC Expert
Clinical Trials Expert
FDA regulations
Analysis using Excel or other software (biostatistics)
Good presentation Skills

9. Ancilliary Biotech Jobs
Business development
Marketing
Sales PR

10. Skill Standards
Our program adopted the Texas skill standards for biotechnology
Critical Functions, Key Activities, Performance Indicators
What are the critical functions of a employee?
What are the activities they must perform for that function?
To what level to they have to perform each activity?
ACC has been awarded a Perkins Grant to develop statewide Biomanufacturing Skill Standards

11. Skill Standards Elements
3 “Work-Oriented” Elements:
Critical Work Functions - broad areas of responsibility (10-12)
Key Activities – major tasks required to achieve Critical Work Function (3-6)
Performance Criteria – standard or proficiency level to which Key Activity must be performed

12. Possible Example in Biomanufacturing
Critical Work Function
Control growth system for designated organism and product
Key Activity
Monitor and regulate bioreactor controls
Performance Criteria
Process variables meet product & equipment
parameters

13. Elements in Skill Standards
7th Element:
Statement of Assessment – how to evaluate skill competency of person, as recommended by industry

14. Resources: Bio-Link & NBC2
Two National Science Foundation (NSF) funded Advanced Technological Education (ATE) Center Grants with a focus on biotechnology and biomanufacturing
Bio-Link networks with over 120 two-year programs across the nation, the students and alumni they serve, and the industry they serve
NBC2 networks all biomanufacturing programs, students, alumni, and industry

15. Bio-Link, NSF funded ATE Center (www.bio-link.org)