Game Changer:
THE BACE WORKFORCE
As the biotechnology industry continues to grow, so does the need for
talent. Since 2006, the University of Florida’s (UF) Biotility has been focused
on building a workforce that meets this growing need.
To do so, Biotility’s Biotechnician Assistant Credentialing Exam (BACE)
encourages high school and college students to pursue careers in
biotechnology by validating important technical skills. With the credential,
a high school graduate is better positioned to get a job as a biotechnician
assistant, often earning well above minimum wage.
To date, an estimated 800 high schoolers have received the BACE
credential – and the number of students who take the exam grows
significantly each year, reaching more than 1,000 this past May. This is
good news for Florida, home to the nation’s seventh-largest biotechnology
research and development industry, nearly 300 biotechnology
establishments and 27,000 employees.
Biotility’s Associate Director Tamara Mandell, and Lori Wojciechowski,
assistant director of secondary programs, initially developed the exam as
a tool to validate mastery of industrial biotechnology program standards in
Florida. Recognition by private industry was vital to the adoption of BACE by
the Florida Board of Education in 2012.
“We had representatives from a variety of industry sectors – medical
“Whoever you bring on board at any level, they
will require some training,” said Neil Glynn, Ph.D.,
Syngenta group leader for disease control in
biological research and development. “As far
as I’m concerned, when we bring students in
who already have experience and exposure to
equipment and approaches, the training period
is a lot less. Our scientists build confidence much
quicker in the students’ abilities, so they can
delegate sooner and, eventually, assign more
elaborate tasks. It allows the scientists to be
more productive.”
“If we’re deciding between a couple of
candidates and one has the certification, we’re
certainly going to give a nod to the student
who is certified,” added Joseph Wuerffel, Ph.D.,
Syngenta research and development scientist
diagnostics, biopharmaceutical, environmental – review the exam and the
questions in terms of rigor and relevance to their company,” said Mandell.
Several Florida companies and institutions are already reaping the
benefits of a BACE-credentialed workforce, including Syngenta, a global
agritechnology company with a laboratory in Vero Beach.
florida.HIGH.TECH 2017
73