Currently, Bioversity offers a free 8-week workforce training program – Biotech Career Foundations – in partnership with the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences at our Boston facility and in partnership with UMass Lowell at our Lowell facility. This certificate training prepares local residents for rewarding entry-level careers at Massachusetts life sciences companies. Participants do not need to have a background in science to take part.

If you are looking to get a new job in the fastest growing industry in Massachusetts, this program could be for you, if:

• You are over 18 years old
• You have a high school degree or GED
• You are eligible to work in the United States
• You are committed to learning and pursuing a new career
• You are willing to show up on-time, every day

Our training curriculum, built initially by the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences and adapted by UMass Lowell for the Lowell site after more than 12 months of employer input, focuses on developing learner’s technical skills as well as soft skills necessary to succeed and advance in a life sciences career. Graduates of this course will be ready immediately for employment in areas such as lab operations, facilities management, supply chain, environment, health, and safety (EHS) – jobs that have starting salaries wages averaging $26 hour with benefits.

This certificate program is designed to teach the following core competencies:

• Understand the biotech industry and its career opportunities
• Recognize basic science concepts and equipment associated with lab work
• Apply environmental health and safety standards in a lab
• Explain and perform Good Documentation Practice (GDP)
• Perform facility cleaning and hazardous waste management functions
• Manage common lab and manufacturing inventory
• Gas cylinder safety and handling
• Understand the biomanufacturing process and environment  
• Model professional behavior
• Practice effective communication skills
• Cultivate a professional presence and job interview skills

Bioversity will assist graduates of the program with career placement and offers coaching throughout the first year of a graduate’s career to provide the best chance of success and promotion. Bioversity does not guarantee graduates will receive a job, but we will directly connect graduates with local biopharma companies that are hiring for these roles. We are constantly working to expand the number of employers who are committed to hiring Bioversity graduates.

Additionally, in order to encourage Bioversity graduates to continue their education after program completion, we will help graduates with application and enrollment into local community colleges and universities, including partnerships with some that include automatic acceptance and college credits from Bioversity’s certificate program. Bioversity will also provide graduates who are accepted into partner colleges or universities with a $2,000 tuition voucher to help offset the costs of the first semester.

Applications for this training program are open now.