How Montgomery County is Helping Shape the Local Bio Workforce as Demand for Talent Increases
Companies are working with higher education institutions to strengthen the workforce pipeline further.
IN THIS ARTICLEBy Lauren Lawley Head – Contributor
Oct 10, 2022
Montgomery County’s growing life sciences industry is getting a boost from collaborative efforts between businesses, higher education institutions, nonprofits and government agencies.Life sciences is a top industry in the county. The Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation (MCEDC) reports the county’s more than 300 bio companies attracted nearly $8 billion in investments in 2020. At the end of July 2022, Indeed’s job search site listed nearly 750 biotechnology job openings in the county.
Miltenyi Biotech is one of those hiring. In March, the German company announced it was moving its North American headquarters to Gaithersburg and expanding its operations. The company currently has about 40 local job openings on the careers section of its website, including roles in quality assurance, manufacturing and research.
Horizon Therapeutics, which plans to expand into a 192,000-square-foot building in Rockville in 2023, is another growing biotech company in the region. It lists more than 20 openings in Gaithersburg and Rockville.
“I’ve been in the sciences for 37 years and have never seen an environment like this one, as far as workforce demand,” said Mark Nardone, biotechnology program manager for Montgomery College. “There’s enormous growth. In the bio industry specifically, there are so many job openings.”
Montgomery County’s well-educated workforce is part of the draw for companies. Sixty percent of adult residents over 25 have at least a bachelor’s degree, and 32% have a master’s degree or higher. The county is close to Georgetown University, George Washington University and the University of Maryland, which all offer advanced degrees in a wide range of life sciences fields.
Expanding the pipeline of available life sciences professionals
Companies are working with higher education institutions to strengthen the workforce pipeline further.
Montgomery College, a community college in Rockville, has created several programs to help existing biotechnology workers update or expand their skills. It leads a partnership of private companies, government agencies and nonprofit organizations called BioTrain, which offers short workshops for learning specific skills and full-day or multiday seminars for deeper dives. Industry experts teach the programs.
Research scientists also have access to continuing education through the college’s Bio-Trac program, in which active research scientists and innovators from research institutes and private companies help participants stay up to date on new technologies and techniques. One of the current programs is a three-day workshop using the gene editing technology CRISPR.
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