Whether we call it life sciences, biosciences or biotech, the industry is one that holds enormous potential for our region. From Manhattan, KS, to Columbia, MO, the number of life sciences companies increased 17 percent from 2009 to 2012, while employment grew a conservatively estimated 21 percent.*
While we may all agree that we should do everything possible to encourage and support the continued growth of the life sciences industry in our region, the fact remains that we are falling short. We can do a much better job at developing the industry’s top asset: talent.
To attract new life sciences companies to our area, and to retain and grow the companies currently here, we need to develop a high-quality workforce that will become the future leaders and workers of these companies. Yet our efforts are lagging behind those in other areas of the country, which could greatly diminish our ability to compete in this rapidly growing segment of the nation’s economy.
There are several key challenges to developing a successful, regional workforce development program. It requires a strong industry and education partnership. It needs a well-defined, regional approach to creating and implementing student programs. And it takes time and patience before fully realizing the payoff.
There is no blueprint for success, but I believe focused efforts in the following three areas would be the best place to start in building a first-class workforce development program.
Regional Internship Program
Educational institutions, from high schools to community colleges to universities, desperately want to place their students in internships or job shadowing opportunities. Unfortunately, the demand far exceeds the supply.
A regional approach to internships that involves an education/business partnership would help address some of the biggest hurdles, such as: helping students discover what opportunities exist; helping companies communicate those opportunities to students; ensuring that internships are relevant; helping small companies with fewer resources establish internship programs; and expanding the number of internships available.
Philadelphia’s “Campus Philly” organization, for example, has taken an innovative approach with its Internship in a Box guide that assists companies in developing and implementing internship programs. Campus Philly then serves as a “giant career office,” placing students in internships that best meet the students’ – and the companies’ – needs. The city is developing a strong workforce, the city’s companies get first-hand knowledge of the available talent pool, and the outcome is that Philadelphia has encouraged its best and brightest students to live and work in the city.
Regional Career Fairs
The problem isn’t that our region doesn’t have career fairs; it’s that it has too many. Consolidating these events into two or three major, annual events will encourage more companies to attend, and isn’t that the point? A career fair that represents multiple universities and draws 150 companies will be far more beneficial to the students, the companies, and the region, than multiple, individual fairs that attract only 10 to 20 companies.
Michael Detamore, professor of Chemical & Petroleum Engineering at the University of Kansas, understands the challenges of organizing a successful career fair. He organizes the KU Bioengineering Career Fair to be held April 9**. The biggest challenge to overcome, he believes, is lack of awareness.
Graduating students are unaware of the career opportunities in our region because they’re unfamiliar with many of the biosciences companies located here. Thus, they accept job offers from large companies like Chevron or ExxonMobile located outside of Kansas and Missouri.
The biosciences companies aren’t aware of the incredible pool of talented graduates from our regional universities because the companies don’t attend all of the area’s career fairs. Why? Because attending all of the many, regional career fairs requires a considerable time and staff commitment, which can be especially draining on small companies with limited resources.
With only a few regional career fairs, companies could consolidate their efforts, time and travel to have the chance to meet some of the best and brightest students our region’s educational institutions have to offer. In addition, the companies can introduce themselves to graduating students who likely were unaware of the companies’ existence. Students can explore the job opportunities in our region, companies have access to a fantastic talent pool, and the region retains graduates who are passionate about the biosciences. It’s a win-win-win situation.
Introduce Science Early
To produce a skilled biosciences workforce for the future, we have to introduce science, technology and engineering to students at the K through eighth grade level today. We need to encourage and nurture their interest so that more students choose life science careers.
What our region lacks, however, is a systematic, region-wide approach to creating and implementing a hands-on, inquiry-based science curriculum. Small programs with limited school exposure exist in both Kansas and Missouri, and that’s a good start. However, a much broader, more consistent and better-funded program is required to engage our youth and begin to develop the kind of competitive workforce needed to make our region a hub of life sciences industries. Developing the program in partnership with the life sciences industry would ensure we’re developing students with the skills necessary for a bright career.
Cities that devote strategic and deliberate efforts in developing their STEM workforce will gain a competitive advantage in attracting and growing life sciences companies. It is well worth the energy to coordinate such programs in Kansas City and the region.
Conclusion
Progress in each of these three areas will require combined efforts of the business, civic, and educational communities. Admittedly, changing educational practice in grades K-8 will be a heavy lift requiring a long-term approach. Increasing internships and consolidating career fairs, however, are low hanging fruit that can yield significant impact in a relatively short time-frame. Active participation by private sector life sciences companies, working closely with educational providers, are the keys to success.
* All data from the Biotechnology Industry Organization, the U.S. government’s National Bioeconomy Blueprint, and the Kansas City Area Life Sciences Institutes 2012 Industry Census report.
**KU Bioengineering Career Fair registrations being accepted through the end of March at https://engr.ku.edu/career_center/employers/how/fairs/bio/index.html