Getting It Done Newsletter Archive

The San Francisco area now has a successful biotech career pathway for adults to enter the biotechnology workforce. This unusual pathway involves two partners: San Francisco Works, a community based organization, and City College San Francisco. Each partner details their part of the story on the next page. This model is thrilling because it can be replicated wherever there are adults from underrepresented groups and/or with English as their second language.

City College San Francisco has had a biotechnology program for several years but with low enrollments - in the range of 20-30 people. Since they screen applicants to the program, they realized that they would have higher enrollments if the applicants had additional science language skills and mathematical skills. They began the "Bridge to Biotech" program for these adults, and many more people, upon completing the "Bridge to Biotech" set of courses, began to apply to enter the two-year Biotech Program. The numbers of qualified applicants surged from about 20 per year to more than 200 per year!

As the screening process proceeded for the "Bridge to Biotech," the need for even a pre-"Bridge to Biotech" program became clear. Many people could easily qualify for "the Bridge" that either needed additional language skills (mainly those from other countries for whom English is a second language) and/or math skills. This is where San Francisco Works stepped in. With the assistance of City College San Francisco faculty members, a lead-in curriculum was created that easily transitioned to the "Bridge to Biotech." Cleverly, this program was named, "The On-Ramp to Biotechnology."

Some of the most exciting news to come out of "The On-Ramp to Biotechnology" program is the effect on the parents that are in this pathway. They get the jobs that they first thought could never be theirs; they now earn a living wage, setting their lives more at ease; and they are encouraging their children to consider biosciences as a career. This latter effect is a sea change in the community where traditionally, science careers are not even considered.

Coordinated by San Francisco Works (SFWorks) and implemented in partnership with City College of San Francisco, the "On-Ramp to Biotech" Program prepares low-income adults with skills between the 6th and 9th grade level for entry-level employment and postsecondary education in bioscience. The "On-Ramp" is currently offered at two campuses in San Francisco: Southeast Campus (of City College San Francisco) serves a low-income, predominantly African- American community; and the Mission Campus (of City College) serves a low-income, predominantly Latino community, including many non-native English speakers.

The "On-Ramp" Program feeds into, and wraps around, City College's "Bridge to Biotech" program. The "On-Ramp" begins with a ten week preparatory program that includes an introduction to life and laboratory science, with contextualized mathematics as well as professional development (such as communication, resume writing, professional work skills). Students transition seamlessly into City

College's "Bridge to Biotech Program." While in "the Bridge", the "On-Ramp" students benefit from additional professional development support and a paid laboratory internship.

For additional information about SFWorks and the "On-Ramp to Biotech" Program, contact Lori Lindburg at llindburg@sfworks.org, or call 415-217-5183.

"The Bridge"
Suppose you are employed as a bus driver, bartender, cashier, office assistant, housekeeper, waiter, or bank teller. You also want to have a job in the biosciences and earn a higher wage, but you doubt your skills and education are sufficient and besides, you have the rent or mortgage to pay. What would you do? Enroll in City College San Francisco's "Bridge to Biotechnology" program.

Launched in 2002 with the specific purpose of interesting people who are traditionally underrepresented in the biotechnology field, the "Bridge to Biotechnology" program has received additional support from a National Science Foundation grant to reach out to these groups. Foundational to this career pathway is the continuing need for biotech workers (estimated by one source at 8,000 new workers in the next five years in California). "Bridge" students must complete an internship at either a research institution or company engaged in biosciences. Feedback from supervisors of these participants in their internships is, "We want more such workers. They are great!"

"The Bridge" provides students with the necessary college level skills in math, communication and biology to be successful in the full-on "Biotech Program" at City College of San Francisco. Each group of entering students is a learning community that together complete math, Biotech language and biology classes. Each student must enroll in these three courses, and complete an internship. Once the students have passed all three courses and internship, they can enroll in, and start work on, their biotechnology certificate in the "Biotechnology Program."

Convening in the Biogen Idec Community Laboratory, ten local high school science teachers have been learning just what it is that the over 39,000 employees in life sciences industry in San Diego do everyday. The first week of the four-week program was spent getting an introduction to the industry, the regulatory environment, and exploring lab skills from gene to protein.

This program was taught by Sandra Slivka, Director of the Southern CA Biotechnology Center and Marty Ikkanda of Pierce College. Their adventures continued for the following two weeks, touring and talking with scientists at local companies on how their curriculum in high school courses directly relates to the day-to-day activities of the company and each of its employees. The upcoming final week for the teachers brought them back to the Biogen Idec Community Lab where they explored how to incorporate their experiences into the classroom during the school year.

This program is part of the Life Sciences Summer Institute developed by BIOCOM and the San Diego Workforce Partnership. The Institute also includes a program for high school and community college students, encompassing a one week boot camp, an internship, and student/mentor recognition at the Nobel and Science Appreciation Gala in November. The one week program was offered at Miramar College and taught by Sandra Slivka and industry instructors.

Ohlone College created one such IDRC beginning in July 2004. They named it "the BETA Project" as an acronym for the Biotechnology Education and Training Alliance. In the past year, they have accomplished the following:

• Gathered 17 partners together, including companies, government agencies, school districts, industry associations, and economic development offices in regional cities;
• Trained 230 current employees in 14 skill enhancement workshops in the Ohlone College Biotech Laboratory that also received new and donated equipment to enhance the learning environment;
• Generated $110,000 in revenue through a contract with Alameda County Workforce Investment Board to assess the needs of displaced workers and employers for workforce reentry;
• Created a biotech manufacturing program from that assessment with two cohorts of 39 students, 17 of which were placed in positions at various biotech companies (specifically in positions as bioprocess technicians, labeling and packaging operators, instrument and media prep technicians, and pharmaceutical manufacturing technicians);
• Received an award from the US Department of Labor as an outstanding program along with partner Skyline College;
• And established career pathway initiatives for high school students.

The core staff members at Ohlone College for the BETA Project were busy. A faculty member converted the Biotech Certificate Program course "Biotechnology and Society" to on-line delivery. Seven workshops were adopted wholesale and two new ones were created for current biotech workers. Faculty and staff members at the college gained professional development opportunities. Human Resources and Manufacturing managers from regional companies toured and organized presentations for trainees.

The 17 partners of BETA participated in events for the community such as the Biotech Information Fair and Exhibit; donated equipment; reviewed curriculum; provided 4 job internships during the year and 16 summer internships; hired 13 trainees from the Workforce Investment Board group; and toured people through their manufacturing facilities.

The BETA Project has not overlooked connections to the high schools. Students at Irvington High School have learned Biotechnology Basic Skills and Concepts. The Biotechnology Summer Institute included 17 advanced placement juniors and seniors in high school working in a showcase lab environment and given access to company internships. And the Course and Program Development workshop for 40 Newark Unified School District staff, Newark Memorial High School faculty members, Regional Occupation Program staff and Ohlone College staff led to discussions on similar programs, student interest in biotech, and career information. One important outcome was to collaborate on creating a high-school-to-college pathway in biotechnology for at-risk high school students.

After purchasing MAS in mid-2005, New Hampshire-based Fisher Scientific moved the company's operations to its offices in the San Francisco Bay area.

Now, Irvine-based LBA Realty is taking a risk that there is life in the biotech business beyond Amgen and Baxter Bioscience. LBA paid nearly $17 million for MAS's 181,354-square-foot building in October. It plans to lease the building soon and is focusing its marketing efforts on biotechnology manufacturers.

MAS' departure left a facility well suited for biotechnology uses. Previously used by MAS to research, develop and manufacture biological agents used in medicine, the building already has U.S. Food and Drug Administration certification.

Although any new tenant would have to reapply for certification, the existing infrastructure, such as separately controlled and filtered heating and air conditioning systems for each laboratory, shipping freezers and specially sealed floors could take much of the legwork and cost out of reapplying for the certification.

LBA Realty was represented by Calabasas- based Lee and Associates, which is also handling the search for a new tenant.

Lee and Associates brokers Robert Flink and Marc Spellman led a group of visitors interested in expanding biotechnology opportunities in the area through the building on Nov. 10. The visit occurred after Ventura County Economic Development Association President Bill Buratto put Flink in touch with Jim Harber, the director of the Central Coast Biotechnology Center at Ventura College.

"Obviously, here in Ventura County, biotechnology is a growth opportunity," Buratto said. "[This building] is a wonderful asset to have if we can find the right way to get the word out."

Participants on the visit included Harber; Elisabeth Ehart, the Central Coast Biotechnology Center's development director; and another individual who was a member of the Tech Coast Angels investment group and a former attorney for Thousand Oaks-based Amgen. She asked to remain anonymous.

"The facility could be good for flu vaccine manufacturing," Harber said. Part of recently announced federal plans to combat a possible flu outbreak include dispersing vaccine manufacturing operations throughout the country to circumvent any disruption to the supply chain that could arise.

With approximately 9,500 square feet in six manufacturing labs and two research and design labs, the building includes such features useful in biotechnology as eye-wash stations, floor drains, conduits for natural gas and electricity, shelving, clean rooms, and de-ionized water systems. More universally useful features include a large loading dock, shipping coolers and refrigerators, and an 800-stall parking lot. It was built in 1999.

The irony for observers such as Harber is that large companies in the biotechnology nerve center of San Diego heavily compete to find buildings with the same sort of preexisting infrastructure.

"Venture capitalists in San Diego won't even talk to people without a pre-built lab space," he said.

However, if a tenant cannot be found within biotechnology circles, Lee and Associates will expand its search. If it does so, the building will be leased as a shell and the existing laboratory infrastructure, coolers and water purification systems would be stripped out.

"They don't want to have it sitting here. We're under the gun," Flink said.

Located in the Mission Oaks Business Park on Adolfo Road near Rockwell Scientific, Technicolor and WellPoint, any new tenant would join a handful of other firms trickling into the development. A large Australian biotechnology firm looked at the building but found it was too large for its needs. The Ventura County Community College District also looked at the site as a possible reprieve from unhealthful conditions at its current headquarters near the Camarillo airport.

Flink and Spellman said that LBA Realty will allow three or four months to find a biotechnology firm for the Camarillo facility before it rips the equipment out and markets it as a shell. "We will leave no stone unturned." Spellman said.