1

Life Sciences

Talent Initiative

Recommendations

presented to the

Massachusetts Biotechnology Council – Human Resource Group

January 14, 2009

Dr. J. Lynn GriesemerExecutive Director, UMass Donahue Institute

UMass President’s Office

2

GROWING TALENT:

Meeting the Evolving Needs

of the Massachusetts Life Sciences Industry

Recommendations from the Life Sciences Talent Initiative

Donahue Institute

3

Life Sciences Talent Initiative – Goals and Objectives

• Analyze current and prospective trends affecting the life sciences workforce and the capacity of higher education and workforce development to respond

• Describe existing life sciences education and training programs and best practices

• Recommend strategies to ensure that life sciences employers have the talent they need to thrive and grow in Massachusetts

4

Our Collaborative Approach Engaged Stakeholders• Governor announces Life Sciences Initiative. MLSC Board and Mass Biotech

Council commission UMDI to conduct workforce needs study;

• UMDI designed and conducted study as a collaborative effort among industry, government and education/training institutions;

• Analyzed the life sciences industry, its workforce and talent needs through use of data, focus groups (10 groups/100 people), interviews (10 CEOs), and surveys (75 online surveys), overall reaching more than 100 Life Science Employers.

• Reviewed the other research on life sciences super cluster and our own analysis of sectors within the cluster (Life Sciences Collaborative; PWC; MassInsight; Northeastern Center for Labor Market Studies, etc.);

• Analyzed higher education and training programs and identified best practices and models in Massachusetts and in competitor states and nations;

• Convened Life Sciences Talent Summit of nearly 300 high-level stakeholders to engage them in reviewing findings and developing recommendations and strategies.

5

Findings

• The life sciences industry is a critically important, fast-growing cluster that provides high-quality jobs for Massachusetts residents and generates economic activity across the state economy

• Demand for highly qualified talent is growing, both in traditional R&D and expanding downstream business sectors, such as clinical trails and biomanufacturing

• Massachusetts has many excellent higher education and workforce training programs in life sciences fields, but they need to be better coordinated and more responsive to the needs of industry

• Massachusetts needs to increase the pipeline of residents entering both higher education degree programs and careers in the life sciences

6

Employment in life sciences cluster is growing faster than other sectors of the Massachusetts economy

• Demand for life sciences workers is expected to grow nearly 45% faster than for workers in the state economy as a whole

• According to the New England Economic Partnership, total employment growth in Massachusetts is expected to average 0.7% per year between 2006 – 2011

• Occupations in the life sciences cluster are expected to grow at a 1.3% annual rate between 2006 and 2014

• Occupation groups with high projected growth include:– Computer and Mathematical Occupations: 22.8% growth– Legal Occupations: 20.3% growth– Life, Physical and Social Science Occupations: 16.7% growth– Architecture and Engineering Occupations: 14.5% growth

7

Distribution and growth projections of the top ten life sciences occupations

Fastest-growing occupations reflect the highly skilled and professional nature of the life sciences workforce

Occupational Group2006 Population in Life Sciences Sectors

Projected Increase in Demand, 2006-2014

Projected 8-year Growth

Medical Scientists 3672 917 25.0%

Computer Software Engineers, Systems Software

2555 707 27.7%

Lawyers 2771 579 20.9%

Computer Systems Analysts 2017 537 26.6%

Computer Software Engineers, Applications

1889 520 27.5%

Biochemists and Biophysicists 1454 421 28.9%

Life, Physical and Social Science Technicians

3621 373 10.3%

Electrical Engineers 2095 278 13.3%

Accountants and Auditors 1845 264 14.3%

Management Analysts 1510 250 16.6%

8

More than 80% of job growth is expected to occur in positions that require at least a bachelor’s degree

Education and training requirements for critical life sciences occupations

Please note: Education and training requirements determined by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.An occupation is placed into one of 11 categories that best describes the postsecondary education or training needed by most workers to become fully qualified in the occupation.

Education Requirement*

Projected Occupational Growth 2006 - 2014

% of Total Projected Occupational Growth

Work Experience in a Related Occupation 69 0.7%

On the Job Training 317 3.4%

Associates Degree 1355 14.4%

Bachelors Degree 4218 44.9%

Bachelors or Higher Degree, plus Work Experience 1283 13.7%

Doctoral Degree 1540 16.4%

First Professional Degree 599 6.4%

BACHELORS DEGREE OR HIGHER, TOTAL 7640 81.4%

GRAND TOTAL 9385 100.0%

9

Life sciences employers are having difficulty finding staff they need

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

VeryDifficult

Moderatelydifficult

How difficult is it for your organization to hire the following types of workers?

10

Employers are most satisfied with Massachusetts graduates with advanced degrees

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

PhD, MD, DVM,other

professional

Master’sdegree

Bachelor’sdegree

Associate’sdegree orcertificate

High schoolgraduate/GED

Excellent

Good

Fair or poor

No opinion

How well prepared are students from Massachusetts’ public and private institutions for careers in the life sciences?

11

Recommendations

• Produce and retain more graduate students with interdisciplinary training in the sciences, mathematics, business, and legal and regulatory affairs

• Strengthen the interdisciplinary curriculum and experiential learning programs in undergraduate education

• Improve and target technical training to existing and emerging employer needs

• Expand the pipeline of K-12 students motivated and prepared to enter higher education and careers in science, technology, engineering and math fields

• Improve communication and coordination between the life sciences industry and higher education

12

Recommendation: Produce and Retain More Graduate Students with Interdisciplinary Training

• Expand/develop/promote programs that integrate graduate education in biomedical life sciences with training in business, management and regulatory affairs

– Professional Science Master's (PSM) degree programs (e.g. Northeastern PSM programs in biotechnology & bioinformatics)

– Interdisciplinary degrees (e.g. Harvard-MIT Biomedical Enterprise Program MA/MBA degree

• Develop and promote continuing graduate education programs for industry professionals

– e.g. UMass Medical School MS in clinical investigations for health care professionals

– e.g. medical device graduate certificate programs at UMass Lowell and WPI

• Provide financial incentives for Massachusetts residents to earn graduate and professional degrees in life sciences fields and work in Commonwealth following graduation

13

Recommendation: Strengthen the Interdisciplinary Curriculum and Experiential Learning Programs in Undergraduate Education

• Integrate education in biological sciences with the study of chemistry, physics, mathematics and information science at the undergraduate level

– e.g. Harvard College Life Science Cluster and Life Sciences; UMass Amherst Integrated Life Sciences Curriculum

• Expand opportunities for paid long-term (>3 months) practical training experiences in industry as part of undergraduate education

– e.g. Northeastern University Cooperative Education Program

• Develop undergraduate courses that emphasize active learning, scientific discovery, practical and applied problem-solving and working in teams

– e.g. WPI Major Qualifying Project

• Seek industry support for undergraduate education– e.g. Genzyme-UMass Scholar Intern Program, Abbott Laboratory Instrument

Donation Program

14

Recommendation: Improve and target technical training • Conduct further research to identify the specific knowledge, attributes and skills

required for entry-level life science positions in Massachusetts

– e.g. North Carolina study, The Model Employee: Preparation for Careers in the Biopharmaceutical Industry.

• Develop partnerships between industry and educational institutions to design and improve programs below the four-year degree level that prepare students for careers with current and projected future demand

– e.g. Medical Laboratory Technician Program, Boston teaching hospitals, Bunker Hill Community College and Boston Private Industry Council

– e.g. Biotechnology Associate’s Degree Program, Middlesex Community College

• Identify transferable knowledge and skill sets from other industries relevant to life sciences occupations and provide educational opportunities and financial support for targeted re-training programs for skilled workers

– e.g. WPI biomanufacturing fundamentals course developed for Polaroid workers

15

Recommendation: Further Develop and Expand the K-12 STEM Pipeline

• Conduct public outreach to promote the variety of exciting, challenging, rewarding and financially attractive careers available in the Massachusetts life sciences industry

• Target K-12 outreach and education programs to increase the number of female, African-American and Latino students entering higher education in STEM fields

– e.g. Worcester Pipeline Collaborative (Abbott Bioresearch Center, Assumption College . Quinsigamond Community College, Science Club at Plumley Village, UMass Medical School, UMass Memorial Health Care, Inc., Worcester Public Schools)

16

Recommendation: Improve Communication and CoordinationBetween Industry and Higher Education• The Commonwealth must strive for the same excellence in producing scientific and

professional talent across the education and training system as it has achieved within individual colleges and universities

– e.g. statewide coordination across higher education institutions in CA; statewide connections between life sciences employers and academic institutions in NC

• Recommendations of Governor’s Readiness Project can guide efforts to develop closer relationships between educational institutions and employers

– better integration of primary, secondary, and higher education curricula

– improvement in public higher education coordination

– creation of a Business/Education Taskforce to develop consensus on the education/training needed for college and the 21st century workplace

– expand partnerships with industry to provide internships and other school-to-career opportunities for students

• New Massachusetts BioMedical Education and Workforce Development Consortium (Mass BioEd Foundation, Mass Biotech Council and MassMEDIC) is prepared to provide industry leadership and coordination

17

Thank You.

DISCUSSION