Professional Development In A Workforce Program

1. Professional Development In A Workforce Program Linnea Fletcher PhD Department Chair, Biotechnology Co-PI, Bio-Link ATE Center Grant in Biotechnology

2. Overview of the Program • Educate Students to Work in the Workforce • Student Preparation Varies From High School All the Way to Ph.D • Framework: Skill Standards Determined by Industry Across the State (www.tssb.org) • Program is Based on a Company-Model (regulated environment) • Year One: Basic Techniques, Laboratory Validation, Ordering, Assay Development, Protein and Nucleic Acid Work (bioinformatics embedded in Intro) • Year Two: Advance Techniques in Cell Culture, Instrumentation, Molecular Biology (Gene Annotation), Online Bioinformatics Course, Biomanufacturing, Independent Research, Industry Internship

3. Faculty Resources • Industry • Advisory Board • State funding for workforce programs—especially in areas where there are jobs!

4. Opportunities For Faculty • Industrytrainingand externships • Illumina • Bioo Scientific (NGS in medical diagnostics and fetal testing ) • Genotox (cytochrome P 450 variants) • Digital World Biology • Academic Institutes • University of Texas • St Edwards University

5. Challenges For Training • Time for Faculty to Gain the Expertise • Cost of Software (Genius) and Licensing • Combining Authentic Lab Work with the Bioinformatics • Need to See the “Big Picture” so Training Across Bioinformatics • Keeping Up with Changes in the Industry • And Bioinformatics Tools are Not Keeping Up with the Industry • Standardization of Bioinformatics Tools and Making Sure People Understand the Concepts Behind the Tools