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Four questions for Susan Seymour

BT Catalyst, July-August, 2004

SUSAN SEYMOUR IS DIRECTOR OF THE North Carolina Community College System's (NCCCS) BioNetwork, an initiative to provide a world-class workforce for the biotech, pharmaceutical and life sciences industries. She is a 28-year-veteran in economic and workforce development in North Carolina. In this interview, Seymour discusses what impact BioNetwork will have within North Carolina.

What is the NCCCS BioNetwork?

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BioNetwork is a statewide initiative that connects community colleges across North Carolina, providing specialized training, curricula and equipment to develop a world-class workforce for the biotechnology, pharmaceutical and life sciences industries. The Bio-Network program includes a new statewide biotechnology planning unit at the community college system office that will direct this initiative and five centers at community colleges across the state. The centers, each with an area of specialization, share information, innovations and resources with all BioNetwork community colleges so they can remain at the cutting edge of workforce training and development. The BioNetwork Capstone Center will be based at North Carolina State University's Centennial Campus and will house a dedicated community college aseptic process suite to train students and workers from all over the state. Workers will undergo hands-on training on commercial-scale equipment. The Capstone Center will also offer a targeted lecture program to ensure that workers have a comprehensive knowledge of sterile products manufacturing. BioNetwork also has plans for a BioNetworkBus outfitted with specialized equipment and faculty. It will be deployed to company and college sites across North Carolina.

BioNetwork networks community colleges teaching biotech curricula, making it possible to leverage the system's resources to greater effect. The result is that community colleges will be able to increase the number of displaced workers they can retrain for entry-level jobs in biomanufacturing and related industries as well as extend the types of associate's degrees they offer. They will be able to provide even more sophisticated hands-on training for people already working in the industry, thereby supporting industries career ladders and growth prospects for people entering the industry.

How will it work to prepare North Carolina's workforce for jobs in biotechnology?

A study last year by the North Carolina Biotechnology Center showed that two thirds of people employed in biomanufacturing are trained at the community college level. BioNetwork works in a number of ways. First, community colleges teaching BioWork retrain people laid off from jobs in the traditional manufacturing sector that has been so hard hit in the past few years.

Second, community colleges offer specialized biotech-related associate degree programs: biotechnology, bioprocessing, chemical process technology, laboratory technology and industrial pharmaceutical technology. Graduates have the option of entering the workforce or going on to a university to obtain a four-year degree.

Third, BioNetwork helps industry by upgrading the specialized skills of incumbent workers. Community colleges train workers at all levels from top management and engineers to entry-level manufacturing workers. The kinds of skills taught range from technical skills upstream, downstream, aseptic processing and cross-training within the workplace to skills such as technical communication, troubleshooting, problem solving, Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), and others that impact productivity. We partner very closely with industry, customizing our programs so that our graduates have the hands-on skills they need to work effectively in a bioprocessing facility once they are up to speed with that company's procedures. Given that many of our students have worked before in manufacturing, most already understand that factories work 24/7; that procedures need to be followed strictly; and that quality control is important. The biotech education they receive reinforces that and teaches them what they need to know about working in this highly regulated industry. We also train people for the many ancillary or support positions needed by the biotech industry jobs like materials handlers, HVAC technicians, shipping, logistics and others.

What are the greatest challenges in preparing a competitive biotechnology workforce?

Capacity is one challenge. The Community College System is concerned that present statewide industry needs may grow faster than we are able to educate and train competent workers. The creation of BioNetwork will go a long way toward ensuring this doesn't happen. North Carolina is well positioned to capture a disproportionate share of the expanding biomanufacturing business. Billions of dollars of new facilities are needed to produce the many new biotechnology-based drugs and vaccines expected to receive FDA approval in the next four years. To attract this investment in biomanufacturing facilities--and their associated jobs--having a pool of well-trained workers is critical to site selection decision making. Golden LEAF has provided BioNetwork with start-up funding, but this lasts until only June 30, 2005. The BIO 2004 international conference confirmed that states across the U.S. and countries elsewhere are throwing billions of dollars to capture this growth industry. The North Carolina legislature will need to provide continued funding for BioNetwork beyond June 2005. Keeping our workforce up to speed with the new technologies and production processes of this evolving growth industry requires systemic investment in the kinds of specialized training offered through BioNetwork.

Technology Industry

Four questions for Susan Seymour

BT Catalyst, July-August, 2004

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