Expanding Pathways from High School into the Biotechnology Workforce

美国的首都地区，包括马里兰州、弗吉尼亚州和华盛顿，华盛顿特区，是一个不断扩大的生物技术创新和产业中心。因此，预计该区域以及全国的生物技术工作岗位数量将增加。尽管劳动力需求不断增长，但公众对生物技术领域或其有前途的职业选择的了解有限。此外，高中生，包括来自经济困难，代表性不足和/或农村背景的学生，对可能的大学和职业选择范围的接触有限。该项目旨在增加进入劳动力市场的生物技术人员的数量和多样性。为了实现这一目标，该项目将让学生及其家庭参加讲习班，以提高他们对生物技术作为一个充满活力的职业的理解，并提高对其他教育和职业机会的认识。该项目将针对少数民族占多数和/或农村地区的高中，从而增加从传统上在STEM和大学生物技术课程中代表性不足的群体中招收学生的机会。该项目有可能通过为STEM中代表性不足的社区成员提供生物技术职业所需的知识和技能，为他们提供向上社会经济流动的机会。为了满足不断增长的行业需求，该项目的具体目标包括：（1）开发STEM副学士学位，重点是生物技术;（2）更新现有生物技术证书的课程;（3）提高对生物技术职业的认识以及完成生物技术课程的学生人数和多样性;及（4）为学生提供暑期实习机会，以培养他们在生物科技方面的就业技能。该项目包括与当地公立学区合作，招收学生进入新设立的STEM副学士学位，重点是生物技术。该项目将与当地行业合作伙伴合作，提供暑期实习机会，帮助学生获得专业、特定领域和职业准备技能。该项目预计将通过让高中生及其家庭参与利用动手生物技术活动的社区外联活动，增加生物技术劳动力并使其多样化。学术和职业信息，包括学位课程，职位描述和工资，将在这些活动中传播。此外，该项目将为高中教师创造暑期专业发展机会，强调生物技术，并为考虑将生物技术作为职业选择的高中生在哈福德社区学院校园开设为期一周的暑期学院。该项目由先进技术教育计划资助，该计划侧重于推动国家经济的先进技术领域的技术人员的教育。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The nation’s capital region, including Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., is an expanding hub of biotechnology innovation and industry. Consequently, the number of biotechnology jobs is projected to increase in the region, as well as nationally. Despite the growing workforce demand, the public has a limited understanding of the biotechnology field or its promising career options. In addition, high school students, including students from economically challenged, underrepresented, and/or rural backgrounds, have limited exposure to the range of possible college and career choices. This project aims to increase the number and diversity of biotechnicians entering the workforce. To achieve this goal, the project will engage students and their families in workshops to improve their understanding of biotechnology as a vibrant career and to raise awareness of other educational and career opportunities. The project will target high schools with majority-minority enrollment and/or rural status, thus increasing opportunities to enroll students from groups traditionally underrepresented in STEM and in college-level biotechnology programs. This project has the potential to provide opportunities for upward socioeconomic mobility for the members of underrepresented communities in STEM by equipping them with the knowledge and skills needed in biotechnology careers. To address the growing industry demand, the project specific aims include to: (1) develop an associate degree in STEM with a concentration in biotechnology; (2) refresh the curriculum of an existing biotechnology certificate; (3) increase awareness of biotechnology careers and the number and diversity of students completing biotechnology curricula; and (4) provide summer internships for students to develop employability skills in biotechnology. The project includes partnerships with local public-school districts to recruit students into a newly created associate degree in STEM with a concentration in biotechnology. In collaboration with local industry partners, the project will provide summer internships to help students gain professional, field-specific, and career-readiness skills. The project expects to increase and diversify the biotechnology workforce by engaging high school students and their families in community-based outreach events that use hands-on biotechnology activities. Academic and career information, including degree programs, job descriptions, and salaries, will be disseminated at these events. Additionally, the project will create summer professional development opportunities emphasizing biotechnology for high school teachers and a week-long summer institute on the Harford Community College campus for high school students considering biotechnology as a career option. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced technology fields that drive the nation’s economy.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.