| NSF Org: |
DUE Division Of Undergraduate Education |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | August 14, 2010 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | August 14, 2010 |
| Award Number: | 1003833 |
| Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Duncan E. McBride
DUE Division Of Undergraduate Education EDU Directorate for STEM Education |
| Start Date: | September 1, 2010 |
| End Date: | February 28, 2013 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $69,976.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $69,976.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
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| History of Investigator: |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
6500 PACIFIC BLVD SW ALBANY OR US 97321-3755 (541)917-4999 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
6500 PACIFIC BLVD SW ALBANY OR US 97321-3755 |
| Primary Place of Performance Congressional District: |
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| Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
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| Parent UEI: |
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| NSF Program(s): | Advanced Tech Education Prog |
| Primary Program Source: |
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| Program Reference Code(s): |
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| Program Element Code(s): |
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| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.076 |
ABSTRACT
Through this planning project, the PIs and colleagues are engaging potential partners in the systematic identification of long-term (5-10 year) occupational and workforce education and training needs for the Oregon biotechnology industry. This investigation of technician workforce training needs in the Willamette Valley includes secondary and post-secondary educational institutions, business and industry, and government agencies. The project is conducting a DACUM process with employers designed to identify specific skill sets critical to industry's training needs. These skill sets are being used to assist in the design of curricula for customized training, certificates, two-year degrees, and transfer programs. The DACUM process allows the colleges to become more responsive to the education needs of the biotech industry employers. Components of the planning process can assist in the identification of potential challenges or barriers and in the development of strategies for managing these issues for secondary and postsecondary educational partners.
Intellectual Merit: Assessing the region's needs is an essential component in effectively and efficiently developing coordinated, cross-industry career pathways from secondary schools to two-year colleges and from two-year colleges to both the workforce and four-year institutions. The college is sited within a relatively easy commuting distance of the major population centers of Portland, Salem, Eugene, and Corvallis. In addition, the college can directly provide educational and training access to small urban and rural communities throughout much of rural western Oregon. Through its partnership with the Oregon Bioscience Association, major investments in science and technology, recent grants supporting biofuel production, and the integration of numerical modeling throughout engineering curricula and supporting programs, the college has established itself as a statewide leader in workforce development within the technology sector.
Broader Impact: The Central Willamette Valley, long known as an agricultural center for the state and region, has experienced recent growth within the biotechnology industry. Access to cellulosic materials makes the region an attractive location for biofuel research and production. Direct proximity to major shipping and transportation routes has attracted biopharmaceutical, biomanufacturing and food processing companies to the area. The two major questions now facing the region are regarding critical mass: 1) Does the existing biotechnology industry within the Willamette Valley have sufficient training and workforce needs to support the creation of dedicated educational and training programs? and 2) How much additional investment in local education would provide a sufficiently skilled workforce to encourage additional biotech companies to relocate to the region? This ATE center planning project can provide answers to these core planning questions for the Willamette Valley and statewide biotechnology forces in Oregon. Results are being shared broadly with industry, workforce investment boards, educational institutions, and government agencies.
PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
Disclaimer
This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
Biotechnology training programs in the U.S. are important in the preparation of the professional technical workforce. Projections through 2020 show the prospect for a number of new and replacement technician level jobs added to the state’s scientific workforce. Through an Advanced Technology Education (ATE) Center Planning Grant, Linn-Benton Community College (LBCC) engaged potential partners in the identification of current and long-term (5-10 year) occupational and workforce training needs for the Oregon biotechnology industry.
Focusing on a common set of competencies for bioscience technicians the planning grant sought to determine: (a) the need for an ATE Regional Center of Excellence in the Willamette Valley, (b) the ideal location for such a center, (c) the technician skill sets that meet existing industry needs, (d) a biotechnology program curriculum that is interdisciplinary, competency-based, and occupationally verified, and (e) career pathways that allow for transition from secondary schools through the community college and into entry level employment in the biotechnology sector or onto further educational opportunities at the university level.
This investigation included representatives from secondary and post-secondary education, business and industry, and government agencies. Focus groups and on-site interviews were conducted to obtain a sense of the local business and industry employment and training issues. Using the information obtained from the focus groups and interviews a survey was constructed and implemented to assess the training and employment needs of the biotechnology industry throughout Oregon. Using the information obtained from the data of the survey a DACUM process was used to further identify specific skill sets critical to industry’s training needs. These skill sets assisted in the design of a transferable program and curriculum for more customized training experiences to include certificates and degrees.
Research found that the bioscience industry has some difficulty filling positions with appropriately trained individuals. Furthermore there was a strong interest for industry to maintain and cultivate a qualified bioscience technician workforce. The grant’s survey indicated that some of the more notable current challenges in keeping a trained workforce are: (a) quality and affordable training, and (b) having a supply of skilled entry level workers. The research indicated there was no significant difference in the current and projected future challenges. Without some assistance the current challenges do not appear to lessen. This indicates a potential need for an NSF funded ATE center in addition to regional industry-specific training programs.
Focus groups strongly endorsed movement toward a science (biology and/or chemistry) technician two-year degree. In addition, a majority of the survey respondents showed a strong interest in hiring trained employees with a science-based technician skill set. Important emphases were placed on technical skills involving safety, documentation of records, standard operating procedures, operation of instrumentation, basic chemistry and biology laboratory skills, and hazardous materials handling. In addition to the technical skills the nontechnical skills including reading, oral and written communication, and teamwork were cited as important. With the assistance of local academia and business and industry a potential transferable program was designed. Transferability between community colleges and universities creates a career pathway for technicians to redefine their opportunities within an organization, and is thusly of significant interest to employers. A transf...
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