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The Northwest Biotechnology/Biomedical Education and Careers Consortium is dedicated to preparing individuals for successful careers in the biotechnology and biomedical fields. Through the collaboration of local-area schools and colleges offering Biotechnology/Biomedical educational programs, and through rich industry partnerships that ensure currency of these programs, students achieve outstanding results and acquire valuable, work-ready skills.

Biotechnology Program Graduates: Excellent Job Candidates!

Graduates of two-year Biotechnology Certification Programs bring highly valued skills to internships and entry-level positions in Biotechnology/Biomedical firms. Employers consistently discover how effective hiring graduates of Biotechnology programs can be. Most graduates who complete Biotechnology programs have either an Associate’s degree or a previously acquired Bachelor’s degree , offering the following qualifications:

Hundreds of hours of supervised experience in a dedicated biotechnology training laboratory
Hands-on experience with a wide range of current protocols
Specific training in safety procedures
All laboratory time documented with faculty-graded laboratory notebooks
Strong foundation and academic training in troubleshooting for technician and research assistant occupations
Trained by faculty with solid academic and industry experience
Strong competency in applied math required for biotechnology lab work

Internship Programs

Leading biotechnology/biomedical employers are discovering the value of establishing internship programs, a significant source of talent. Internships offer a convenient way to “take a look” at potential new employees with a minimum investment and commitment.

Example of an Internship Program - This site from Shoreline Community College is an example of internship best practices that can be used as a guide for setting up an internship program.

Employer and Intern Testimonials

These interviews with biotechnology/biomedical employers and former interns offer proof: The broad-based background students acquire in biotech training programs equals fast-start results on the job.

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center

Ron Manger, Ph.D, Biologics Production Facility Staff Scientist and Manager

Jamie Morrison, Biologics Production Facility Quality Control Senior Associate

Mary Husby, Quality Control Associate

Targeted Genetics Corporation

Susan Bell, Research Assistant, Pre-Clinical Biology Department

Dana Martin, Pre-Clinical Biology Associate

University of Washington

Andy Farr, Research Laboratory Manager

James Dooley, Research Scientist

“These two-year biotechnology certifications are really focused on supporting the biotech industry. They offer a great starting place. The graduates hire in with the basic lab skills they need." - Jamie Morrison

“I gained a lot of hands-on experience in laboratory practices in my two-year program, so I didn’t have to go in and be taught those techniques.” - Susan Bell

“After attending the two -year Shoreline biotech program, James came into the lab with a sense of how things work. It was easy to build on his general understanding of the concepts, since he fully understood what he was doing and why.” - Andy Farr

Skill Upgrade Training

10 Short Courses offered through the Puget Sound Center and Shoreline Community College

This ongoing training program helps technicians and research assistants expand and update their skill base and enhance their employability. Taught by industry experts in the evenings or on weekends, courses include Regulatory Affairs, High Performance Liquid Chromatography, Flow Cytometry, Cloning and Expression, and Bioinformatics. The specific classes offered change as the needs of the local industry change.

Biotechnology/Biomedical Skill Standards

Skill standards provide information about what an individual needs to know and be able to do to be successful in the workplace. The Biotechnology/Biomedical Skill Standards cover two occupational areas:

Research, Development and Manufacturing
Regulatory Affairs and Clinical Trials

Employers can use skill standards to establish personnel qualification requirements. Interviews, performance reviews, and productivity can be evaluated and assessed to a higher degree of accuracy and efficacy. Employers are also able to identify core competencies and workers’ abilities to demonstrate competencies. By matching competencies to critical work functions and key activities, employers can significantly improve efficiencies and productivity. Performance-based skill standards also provide a vehicle for varying degrees of job certainty and the structure for establishing competency-based pay scales.