1. National Center for the Biotechnology Workforce
The Making of a Biotechnology Workforce in the Piedmont Triad Region & Forsyth County, NC
Russ H. Read
Executive Director
National Center for the Biotechnology Workforce
Forsyth Tech
Winston-Salem, NC
October 24, 2005

2. Knowledge-based Industry
Biotechnology a complex knowledge - based technological approach:

3. 2002 Brookings Institution Report
Requirements for Success
Biomedical Research infrastructure
Economic Development support
Venture capital
Entrepreneurs

4. Biotechnology’s Potential
“Vast and Imaginative”
Food & agriculture
Medicine
Environment
Information
Other
Photograph by: Steve Brown & Carl A. Sharif - NYT Pictures

5. US Biotechnology Industry
Companies Sales ($B) Employees
United States 1,466 $ ,600

6. US Biotechnology Industry
First Tier States & Regions

7. North Carolina Rankings
Recognized Globally as a Leading Life Science Community
NC # 3 US biotech state (Ernst & Young, 2004)
Research Triangle #3 biotech metro area
(Milken Institute, 2004)
# 1 in Biotech Human Capital & Biotech Workforce

8. Biotechnology A Natural Fit for North Carolina
Economy based on living organisms
Outstanding research universities
Four medical schools
World’s largest research park (RTP)
Progressive tradition

9. North Carolina’s Biotech Future
Statewide Strategic Plan for Biotechnology
“New Jobs Across North Carolina”
54 strategic recommendations
Three immediate priorities:
Recruit and expand biomanufacturing companies
Create more start-up companies
Spread biotechnology statewide

10. Biotechnology Industry Characteristics
Small
Highly Regulated
Young and Still Developing
The biotechnology industry is regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug administration, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Agriculture, and in certain areas, the Department of Homeland Security. With this in mind it is not uncommon for the development of drug, product, vaccine or device to take years to make it to commercialization.
The first biotechnology company (Genentech) was established in 1976, went public in 1980 and saw its first product approved in So while the industry is grounded in scientific practices that date back hundreds of years, the industry itself is still young and developing The industry in the United States has still not reached an overall level of profitability and may do so within the next 10 years. In a 2003 study conducted by Ernst &Young, only 15 percent of the nation’s biotechnology companies reported being profitable in one of the past three years ( )

11. Biotechnology Occupational Characteristics
Specialized Skills
High Level of Education
Higher Wages
Unlike many other industries that have been at the heart of recent regional and national workforce development efforts, the biotechnology industry does not have one key occupation or one set of core competencies that can frame the industry’s workforce development challenges (i.e. there is no equivalent to the nursing shortage within the healthcare industry or the issue of an aging and retiring workforce that needs to be replaced).
It is not uncommon to meet with a dozen biotechnology human resources professionals who will have a dozen different sets of workforce development needs and challenges. These needs and challenges are often as specialized as the company itself.
From Associates Degrees to Ph.D’s, this is an industry where education matters and where hands on laboratory and internship experiences go hand-in-hand with classroom instruction.
Along with specialized skills and heavy educational requirements comes higher wages and greater opportunity for professional growth. A 2001 study in the San Diego region showed that the median salary for entry-level employees within he industry was roughly $40,000 and that the median salary for experienced employees was roughly $70,000. Various regional studies have shown that these wages have continued to increase over the last four years.

12. Employment Projections 2002-12
Industry
Scientific research, development & technical services: 70%
Pharmaceutical & medical manufacturing: 23%
Occupations
Life, physical & social scientists: 17%
Biological scientists: 19%
Biological technicians: 19%
With these caveats, it is possible to get a sense of the projected growth in areas of the biotechnology industry. Between 2002 and 2012:
Scientific research, development, and technical services is projected to grow 70 %, though some parts of this industry segment are probably outside of the biotechnology industry.
Pharmaceutical and medical manufacturing is projected to grow 23 %. Probably all of this segment would be classified in the biotechnology industry, but it is only a part of the industry.
Looking at a few of the more industry-specific occupations we see that:
Life, physical, and social scientists are projected to grow 17 %;
Biological scientists, a subset of life, physical, and social scientists, are projected to grow 19%; and
Biological technicians are projected to grow 19 %.
There are probably some individuals being counted in all of these occupations that are working outside the biotechnology industry.

13. Long & Short-Term Solutions
Community Colleges Hold the Key
Community colleges are critical to the sustainability and growth of the biotechnology workforce. From associate’s degrees, to industry certifications, to customized and just-in-time training courses, the community college system is flexible and experienced in reacting to and meeting industry needs.
The focus on lifelong learning and the constant need to retrain workers within the industry makes the broad array of affordable community college courses attractive to employers and employees alike.

14. Demand-Driven Process

15. Diverse Training Needs
Similar type of Biotech job positions exist across the country
There are emerging biotechnology specializations
Examples: research & development, bioprocessing/biomanufacturing and bioinformatics
Russ

16. Skill/Education Requirements
Discovery Research Technician or Assistant
Description:
Perform research tasks & experiments
Analyze & interpret data
Write experimental protocols, reports, & summaries
Handle & purchase lab equipment and supplies
Entry- Level Position:
Associate degree in science with related experience with annual salary of $25,000+
Sonia
Discovery Research Technician or Assistant
Biotechnology depends on two crucial processes, research and development (or R & D). Laboratory Technicians or Assistants are so key that it’s difficult to imagine the work of experiments being done without them. These trained workers perform a wide variety of research laboratory tasks and experiments, from making detailed observations of the experimental process to analyzing and interpreting data. They may also write reports, summaries and experimental guidelines known as protocols. In addition, they often troubleshoot and calibrate lab instruments and equipment and can be experts in purchasing lab equipment and supplies.
An entry-level assistant position requires at a minimum an associate degree in science and some related experience, like an internship.
R&D includes several new positions that are linked to the exciting area of bioinformatics.
Bioinformatics Associate
The bioinformatics associate uses online research techniques to study how genes and proteins look and act. They can search on private and public databases for genes responsible for certain diseases. The software used makes routine jobs faster and easier, and allows them to find and study massive amounts of data. The associate stores the data collected on its own database.
The bioinformatics associate works closely with research scientists to prepare software design specifications or applications. They will routinely use Unix and NT systems, Oracle and Access database programs, and programming languages in Java, C++ and Perl.
The entry-level position requires a B.S. in life science field with 0-2yrs computer science experience or A.S. in computer science with biotechnology/bioinformatics certificate

17. Piedmont Triad Area
Location miles from Charlotte and Raleigh (RTP)
1,517,790
Population 1,517,790
Largest Industry
in terms of employees - Health Care
Forsyth
per capita income $25,000

18. Manufacturing Employment 2000 - 2004
Piedmont Triad
Manufacturing Employment
147,000
116,000
100
110
120
130
140
150
160
Manufacturing Jobs (000s)
CoreNet Global Deal o the Year

19. Piedmont Triad Layoffs/Closings
Between 2001 and 2004, there were 361 reported closings affecting over 16,760 people, and 191 layoffs affecting over 12,996 people.
Major layoffs or closings at:
RJ Reynolds, Lexington Home Brands, Sara Lee, Thomasville Furniture, Pillowtex, Unifi, Wachovia
The case for diversification of the region’s economy

20. Biotech Opportunities ?
Necessary Behaviors
Vision / Leadership / Desire
Collaboration
Volunteerism
Entrepreneurialism
Basic Ingredients

21. Biotech Research & Development - the Piedmont Triad
Biomedical Research Infrastructure
FTCC
WFUSM
WSSU
UNC-G
NC A&T

22. Piedmont Triad Capital Possibilities
Capital & Entrepreneurial Activity
Angel capital & Local Venture
- Piedmont Angel Network
Inception Micro Angel Fund
Knowledge & Environment
- Piedmont Triad Entrepreneurs Network
- Wake Forest Babcock Business Incubator
- Nussbaum Incubator
Seed Stage Advisory
Winston - Salem Technology Council

23. “New” Economic Development Groups in the Piedmont Triad
Strong, Cooperative Organizations
Two active research parks being built
Piedmont Triad Entrepreneurs Network (PTEN)
Piedmont Triad Partnership
Chambers 3, Triad
Action Greensboro
Winston - Salem Chamber’s Technology Council
NC Department of Commerce
NC Regional Biotechnology Office
Piedmont Triad Biotechnology Advisory Board (schools universities, for profits)
Life Sciences Executive Round Table

24. Inventory Biotechnology Industry - the Piedmont Triad
49 Life Sciences Related Companies
12 medical device manufacturers
8 medical service providers
4 clinical laboratories
9 biotechnology companies
16 pharmaceutical companies
33 support/service companies

25. Piedmont Triad Life Science/BT Employment
Wake Forest University/Baptist Medical Center-3,800 Medical research and education
Laboratory Corp Of America- 3,200-Clinical and anatomical laboratory services
Spectrum Laboratory Network- 1,000-Laboratory services for physicians offices and hospitals
Procter and Gamble Co Manufactures consumer products
Syngenta Crop Protection -740-Agricultural biotechnology
Banner Pharmacaps -566-Manufactures soft-gel capsules and caplets
Carolina Biological Supply Company 530- world-class support for science & math
Arrow International Inc. 500-Manufactures heart catheters
ConvaTec 325- Manufactures ostomy care, skin care and advanced wound care products
Ventlab Corp. 300-designs and manufactures critical care and emergency medical devices
Wilson-Cook Medical Inc. 260-manufactures medical and surgical equipment
Ciba Specialty Chemicals Corp. 256-Produces specialty chemicals
Shionogi Qualicaps, Inc. 180-Manufactures empty two-piece capsules and encapsulation equipment
TriPath Imaging Inc- 160-Diagnostics; cervical cancer screening
Novartis Animal Health US Inc. 150-develops and manufactures veterinary pharmaceuticals
Physicians Laboratories -130-Makes Revival Soy-based products
Targacept – 90- drug discovery and development
Transtech Pharma- 80- drug discovery and development 
13,000 jobs- Critical People Mass & Bio-Cluster Formation

26. Forsyth County Winston-Salem- Biotech Cluster
Leverage Infrastructure
PTRP – a 200-acre research park (planning to be one of largest urban research parks in U.S.)
NC Biotech Center’s Triad office – the Center’s first satellite office
WFU School of Medicine - #32 nationally in NIH funding; Dept. of Public Health Sciences ranked #1
Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center – #1 in licensing revenue among NC’s universities; $170 million in research grants and awards (FY 2004)
Globally recognized Institute of Regenerative Medicine

27. Piedmont Triad Biotechnology Advisory Board Acting on 21 Top Initiatives
Assessment/Inventory will show trends, resources, gaps
Identify projects, goals, vision in three timelines
Short Term Projects: ex: Assessment, Economic Index, Events Workforce
Mid Term Goals: ex: Marketing, wet-lab incubator, pilot scale mfg
Longer Term Vision: ex: International Business Incubator, Biomanufacturing facility recruitment

28. Environmental Assessment Reveals
BT Workers at the technician level are a high need for the present & future
“ You train them they will have jobs ”

29. The Biotech Program Process

30. Possibilities Collaborative models Articulations with: -K-12 -Colleges
-Universities
-Employers/employees
-Others

31. Vision premiere BT program in R&D in the Southeast
now considered nationwide to be a Center of Excellence and Expertise in R&D Training
specialization in training & retraining candidates for the workforce for biotech (Piedmont Triad) job placement
job placement at companies, universities or medical center research labs
closely partnered with Schools K-12, WFUHS, colleges, universities and Life Sciences companies

32. Outcomes
Recipient of Multiple Grants from Golden Leaf and DOL: Largest BT training program in NC
graduates: 100% employed
(100%) did summer internships
250 currently enrolled in program
Provider of second year BT education for 8 area wide community colleges
Articulation with all Triad State university 4 year LS programs & WSFCS
Recognized nationally as a site for the National Center and R&D Training expertise

33. “love the BT grads, competent and very hands on”
Partner’s feedback
“love the BT grads, competent and very hands on”

34. Future Workforce needs are dynamic Collaborative spirit
New opportunities evolve
Infrastructure extends itself to novel ideas

35. US DOL Employment and Training Administration $5M grant
to enhance capacity for biotechnology training by region;
to develop, implement, and disseminate curricula;
to define technician skill standards for biotechnology sectors;
make resources of curriculum available throughout the country.

36. For information please visit the following web sites:
Please visit a DOL/ ETA webinar on the Biotechnology Workforce originally broadcast 9/14/05 by connecting to either of these sites
Thank you!