Welcome to ASMCUE in Seattle, Washington! Registered attendees are able to download the mobile app onto their phone, create a log-in, and make a personalized schedule and chat with attendees. Questions? Email [email protected]
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The rapid expansion of the biotechnology industry has created an increasing demand for skilled laboratory technicians with industry-recognized competencies. To address this workforce need, HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology developed Biotech Launch, an innovative community college partnership designed to prepare students for immediate entry into Alabama's growing biotechnology workforce. Biotech Launch is a two-semester experiential learning program that combines classroom instruction, hands-on laboratory training, industry-recognized credentialing, and paid internships. During the first semester, students complete a 15-week training program that emphasizes essential biotechnology laboratory skills, including micropipetting, solution preparation, aseptic technique, molecular biology techniques, laboratory documentation, quality systems, and professional workplace competencies. Students also prepare for the Biotechnician Aptitude and Competency Exam (BACE), an industry-recognized credential that serves as Alabama's biotechnology Career Readiness Indicator. Students who successfully complete the training phase transition to paid internships with biotechnology companies and research laboratories, where they apply their skills in authentic laboratory settings. Since its launch, the program has demonstrated strong student success and workforce outcomes. Participants have consistently achieved BACE pass rates that exceed the national average while completing the credential in substantially less time than traditional preparation pathways. Most graduates have secured biotechnology internships, providing direct pathways into employment or continued education within the life sciences. Biotech Launch demonstrates the effectiveness of combining community college education, employer partnerships, competency-based training, and paid work-based learning to strengthen the biotechnology workforce pipeline. This model offers a scalable framework for developing a diverse, highly skilled workforce capable of meeting the evolving needs of the biotechnology industry while expanding access to high-quality STEM careers.
