HI-TEC: A National Conference on Advanced Technological Education

BioMADE: A Blueprint for Agile Bioindustrial Manufacturing Education and Workforce Development

BioMADE’s mission is to enable domestic bioindustrial manufacturing at all scales, develop technologies to enhance U.S. bioindustrial competitiveness, de-risk investment in relevant infrastructure, and expand the biomanufacturing workforce to realize the economic promise of industrial biotechnology. Participants will learn about how current education and workforce efforts have been brought together in a coordinated effort to build domestic workforce capacity and capabilities. The session will describe critical workforce infrastructure and strategic plans to build a strong and resilient domestic biomanufacturing workforce.

Tom Tubon, Chief Workforce Development Officer, BioMADE, Minneapolis, MN; Louise Petruzzella, Senior Program Manager, BioMADE, Minneapolis, MN; Kristin Jenkins, Senior Program Manager, BioMADE, Minneapolis, MN

It Isn’t What You Think: Surprising Careers in Advanced Manufacturing

Did you know that there are manufacturing careers in high-end fashion, sustainable agriculture, and artificial intelligence? There are clear connections between many nontechnical interests and STEAM opportunities that can help encourage students to expand their horizons and consider advanced manufacturing careers. Manufacturing USA can help educators understand the many nontraditional manufacturing careers that exist, how to make the connections between students’ interests and those careers, and how students can access opportunities in and pathways to advanced manufacturing careers.

Christina Jones, Partnerships and Outreach Strategist, Advanced Manufacturing National Program Office, Gaithersburg, MD

Equipping U.S. Manufacturers with a Skilled Technical Workforce: A Competency-Based Approach

U.S. manufacturers consistently cite the lack of a skilled workforce as one of the biggest challenges to advanced manufacturing initiatives. To address this challenge, the Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM) Institute has created RoboticsCareer.org. This free national resource identifies and standardizes the competencies, skills, and pathways required of an advanced manufacturing workforce, and includes training options ranging from apprenticeships to two- and four-year degree programs. Additionally, ARM has developed an endorsement program that recognizes and promotes high-quality robotics training and education. Learn how your institution can leverage these innovative resources to increase awareness of your programs and support your students.

John Zappa, Senior Product Manager, Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM) Institute, Pittsburgh, PA; Mary Ellen Rich, Certification Manager, Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM) Institute, Pittsburgh, PA

Bringing a Hands-On Entrepreneurial Program to Your Organization

Learn about hands-on, experiential programs that familiarize students with advanced manufacturing technology, entrepreneurship, and the education and career pathways that can lead to manufacturing careers. Developed by Manufacturing USA institutes, these programs effectively connect students, often from underserved communities, with resources, opportunities, and access to mentors who can help guide their career decision-making up to and through college. Hear how Manufacturing USA institutes have successfully introduced students to new technologies and learn how you can bring these engaging programs to your school.

Courtney Power, Deputy Director of Workforce Development, NextFlex, San Jose, CA

Module Development, Expansion, and Dissemination for Bioindustrial Manufacturing Workforce Readiness

BioMADE’s mission is to expand the biomanufacturing workforce where entry-level technicians to management will be needed to fill the predicted 1.1M career positions in the near future. BioMADE is launching an initiative to develop modules that address the multidisciplinary workplace competencies required in bioindustrial manufacturing, building on basic biotechnology core skills to include engineering principles, systems, and process practices. This session will be interactive as the presenters seek to map knowledge gaps and where new modular content may be integrated into existing biology, biotechnology, biomanufacturing, biochemistry, and bioengineering courses. Approaches that facilitate broad impact and dissemination of resources using web-enabled platforms will be identified.

Louise Petruzzella, Senior Program Manager, BioMADE, Minneapolis, MN; Kristin Jenkins, Senior Program Manager, BioMADE, Minneapolis, MN; Parminder Jassal, Chief Executive Officer, Unmudl, Austin, TX

Building National Biomanufacturing Workforce Capabilities and Capacity via Manufacturing Institutes

Of the 16 Manufacturing USA institutes, three were created to serve the bioscience sector: the Bioindustrial Manufacturing and Design Ecosystem (BioMADE), the Advanced Regenerative Manufacturing Institute (ARMI/BioFab), and the National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL). The impact of building relationships between two-year colleges, career technical programs, industry partners, and the MIIs can lead to transformative change for educators, institutions, and job seekers. In this session, we will highlight the current and potential impacts for each of the three biomanufacturing institutes, success stories, challenges, and innovative solutions to building workforce capacity.

Tom Tubon, Chief Workforce Development Officer, BioMADE, Minneapolis, MN; John Balchunas, Workforce Director, NIIMBL, Newark, DE; Karla Talanian, Chief Education and Workforce Officer, ARMI BioFabUSA, Manchester, NH