Orange County Biotechnology Collaborative Partnership

生物技术的应用影响着我们生活的各个关键方面，从我们服用的药物的开发，到我们所吃的食物的生产，再到为我们的车辆提供动力的燃料的创造等等。此外，生物科学/生物技术产业对美国经济作出了重大贡献，在7万多家公司雇用了160多万名工人。无论是在主要大学、大公司还是小型新成立的公司进行的研究和发展活动，导致生物技术领域的进步在很大程度上依赖于合格的初级技术雇员的存在来执行基本任务。为了满足区域生物科学/生物技术产业的需求，奥兰治县生物技术合作伙伴关系将统一和加强南加州三所社区学院（圣安娜学院、圣地亚哥峡谷学院和富勒顿学院）在生物技术教育方面的个人努力。奥兰治县生物技术合作伙伴关系的成员将与由当地工业和学术机构代表组成的咨询委员会合作，设计一套量身定制的课程，为项目毕业生提供工作场所所需的专业技能和能力。三所大学正在开发的项目元素包括生物技术课程中嵌入的模拟工作场所体验，广泛扩展到当地高中，以及为项目学生提供在工业和学术环境中的实习机会。一系列三个连续的可堆叠证书将为学生提供多个项目进入和退出点的选择。完成三个证书，再加上两个专业领域的额外课程，将获得生物技术副学士学位。由于合作中的所有三所学院都是为西班牙裔服务的机构，该项目将为历史上在科学和技术领域代表性不足的个人提供进入STEM专业劳动力的教育途径。项目评估将包括项目毕业生的数量和人口统计数据、雇主调查等指标，以确保行业需求得到满足，以及项目目标和目的是否得到满足。这些努力将有助于在正式的高级技术课程中嵌入专业技能培训的成功实践的一般知识库，以及可堆叠证书在促进灵活进入和退出生物技术人员计划方面的有效性。

Applications of biotechnology affect diverse and critical facets of our lives from the development of medicines we take, to the production of food we eat, to the creation of fuels that power our vehicles and more. Furthermore, the bioscience/biotechnology industry is a significant contributor to the United States economy, employing in excess of 1.6 million workers at more than 70,000 companies. Whether they take place in major universities, large corporations or small start-up companies, research and development activities that lead to advances in the field of biotechnology rely greatly on the presence of well-qualified entry-level technical employees to carry out essential tasks. In order to serve the needs of the regional bioscience/biotechnology industry, the Orange County Biotechnology Collaborative Partnership will unify and fortify the individual efforts in biotechnician education of three southern California community colleges, Santa Ana College, Santiago Canyon College and Fullerton College.Working with an advisory board composed of representatives from the local industry and academic institutions, the members of the Orange County Biotechnology Collaborative Partnership will design a curriculum tailored to provide program graduates with professional skills and competencies highly desired in the workplace. Program elements being developed across the three colleges include simulated workplace experiences embedded within biotechnology courses, extensive outreach to local high schools and internship opportunities in industrial and academic settings for students in the program. A series of three successive stackable certificates will provide students with options for multiple program entry and exit points. Completion of the three certificates plus two additional classes in a specialty area of emphasis will lead to an Associate of Science degree in Biotechnology. As all three colleges in the partnership are Hispanic-Serving Institutions, this project will provide educational pathways into the STEM professional workforce for individuals historically underrepresented in science and technology. Project evaluation will involve metrics such as numbers and demographics of program graduates, employer surveys to ensure industry needs are being addressed and whether project goals and objectives are met. These efforts will contribute to the general knowledge base regarding successful practices for embedding professional skills training within formal advanced technological coursework, as well as the effectiveness of stackable certificates in promoting flexible entrance to and exit from the biotechnician program.