Blog By Zach Stanley, Executive Director, Bioversity

A stay-at-home mom. A security guard. A server. A janitor. A sales associate. A front desk associate. A delivery driver. A recent high school graduate. Unemployed.

What do all these people have in common? They all decided to do something new. To do something for themselves. To take a new path. To pursue a career. To make a commitment to a better future. They all applied to and were accepted into Bioversity’s Biotech Career Foundations training program.

In return, Bioversity made a promise to them: give us 8 weeks. Four days a week. Six hours a day. Show up every day, on time. Put in the work, and we will give you a new trail, a new chance, a next step. During the 8 weeks, we will teach them the technical and professional skills they need to be ready for early career lab operations roles with titles like Lab Technician, Logistics Technician, Facilities Technician II, Critical Support Technician, and Senior Site Specialist. Roles that are not only great entry points into a new industry but can be lifelong careers.

A year later, has our promise been fulfilled? The data speaks for itself:

• 65 students graduated across five cohorts
• 92% of students identify as Black or Brown
• 74% placement rate into full-time positions at 15 different life sciences companies
• $27 an hour average wage plus comprehensive benefits packages – doubling average income upon enrollment  

In our first year, Bioversity is now the biggest and most diverse biotech certificate training program in Massachusetts. We met our mission of blazing training pathways and creating employer connections for underrepresented and low-income populations. And more importantly, we met our promise to our students, their families, and their communities. Our graduates now have higher wages and health insurance, providing stability and improving their health outcomes. They have access to 401k’s and a true opportunity to build wealth for the first time. They are in the fastest-growing industry in Massachusetts and have been set on a true career path. And they have proven to themselves that they can learn, they can do more, and they can succeed. As a result, many of our graduates have already enrolled in college to continue their academic journey toward a 2- or 4-year degree while they are working.

We are very proud of what we’ve accomplished in our first year. But it is just the first step. As we look ahead to 2025, we want to make a bigger impact on more people across Massachusetts. Next year, we are going to continue to do what we do well out of our Dorchester-based training lab while also opening a new facility in Lowell in partnership with UMass Lowell. Between these two sites, we will enroll, train, and graduate 80+ people. At the same time, we are regularly talking with employers about what other training courses we can run to connect talent to jobs in high demand.

To expand our impact, we need the continued support of life sciences employers. From volunteering on-site to financial support to hiring our graduates, a training program is only as good as its employer partners. We are always looking for more companies to get involved, especially as we grow regionally and look to launch new training pathways. And in turn, Bioversity tries to make it as easy as possible to engage with us. There is no commitment to hire or financial commitment to participate. What we ask is simple: come visit our facilities and meet our students. From there, I bet you can’t resist getting involved.

See you in Dorchester and Lowell in 2025. Get in touch to learn more.

This blog was originally posted on MassBio.org