Biotech Jumpstart: Building Competency and Career Awareness Through Scientific Inquiry

Front Range Community College (FRCC) will use evidence-based, inquiry-based teaching strategies to attract local high school and community college students to jobs in biotechnology, and equip them with the skills to succeed in the industry. Despite a robust industry, Colorado faces a severe shortage of skilled biotechnology technicians, mostly due to the lack of career awareness and training of local students. Career exploration activities will allow students to explore career paths in biotechnology and increase their awareness of and interest in pursuing biotechnician careers. FRCC STEM students will serve as near-peer mentors to facilitate student learning in the classroom and promote self-efficacy in career exploration. This project will make an important contribution to the development of a skilled workforce, which is essential for the continual growth and prosperity of the Colorado biotechnology industry.

FRCC will develop the biotechnology educational pipeline in Colorado by increasing students' exposure to and engagement in biotechnology careers. Inquiry-based molecular biology labs will be developed and implemented in local high schools and in high-enrollment science courses at FRCC. These materials will be adapted and developed to equip students with the foundational knowledge and skills in demand by the industry for entry-level biotechnology jobs. Partnerships with local industry will ensure the workforce relevancy of the inquiry curriculum and will provide engaging career exploration opportunities to attract students into biotechnology careers. This project will generate valuable instructional materials, which can be adopted by the science education community and will be shared with the ATE community. A long term goal is to reduce the regional educational achievement gap, and to increase local participation in Colorado's bioscience workforce.