Events
Wake Tech Biotech Students and Alumni to Fill High-Demand Jobs
RALEIGH, N.C. (June 22, 2023) – Wake Tech Biotechnology and Biopharmaceutical Technology students will soon be working in high-demand jobs. Area biotech and life sciences employers came to Wake Tech's Western Wake Campus today to recruit students and recent graduates from the Biotechnology and Biopharmaceutical Technology associate degree programs and the BioWork non-degree certification.
"We actually listen," says Dr. Cynthia Lawrence, director of Workforce Continuing Education Biotechnology at Wake Tech. "We listen to what our students need as far as jobs, and we listen to industry. If industry needs training, we open a conversation and develop a curriculum to train students with the skills they need. It's a win-win for everyone."
About 60 students and alumni took advantage of the opportunity to meet with representatives from Biogen, Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk, CSL Seqirus and others to hear about the positions they're trying fill, such as bioprocessing technician, lab technician and manufacturing associate. In addition to local employers, students met with representatives from the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, the North Carolina Community College System BioNetwork Capstone Center and WakeWorks Apprenticeship, which offered a session on apprenticeship opportunities in the field. Wake Tech currently offers a Biomanufacturing pre-apprenticeship, which leads to an industry-recognized certificate and 16 credits toward an Associate in Applied Science degree in Biotechnology.
Wake Tech launched its Biotechnology degree two years ago in response to a growing demand for workers. The program emerged from molecular biology and chemical engineering and prepares students to meet the increasing demand for skilled laboratory technicians. Wake Tech also offers a Biopharmaceutical Technology degree, which prepares students with skills in manufacturing processes and quality assurance procedures, as well as bioprocess equipment maintenance. The non-degree BioWork program is an accelerated non-degree course that leads to an entry-level position as a bioprocess technician and can provide course credit toward an associate degree.
Wake Tech also offers a series of non-degree biotech courses for anyone interested in biotechnology or to help working professionals advance in their field. To learn more, visit biotech.waketech.edu.
