PET News
TSTC and TFI Publish Biotechnology Study
Thursday, November 16, 2006 - Marketing & Communications
The latest technology forecast from Texas State Technical College and Technology Futures Inc. explores the workforce and curriculum impact of biotechnology for Texas community and technical colleges.
The report examines fundamental trends driving advances in biotechnology, includes discussions with leading biotech experts, provides examples of biotechnology curriculum and new courses available in Texas, and makes strategic recommendations to increase the competitiveness of Texas biotechnology companies and educational programs.
“All of the universities and community colleges in Texas need to begin exploring ways in which they can create biotech programs,” said Jason Moore, director of industry programs, BioHouston. “It will take awhile to develop such programs, so they need to get started as soon as possible or they will be behind the curve when the industry begins to ramp up.”
Employment opportunities for biotechnicians will become increasingly bright. The biotechnology industry will grow rapidly in terms of technical innovation, practical applications and business and employment opportunities. The use of automation and robotics will be of increasing importance, permitting improvement in efficiency and accuracy and placing new transdisciplinary requirements on biotechnicians and supporting educational programs.
According to Nicholas Cram, associate professor and biotechnology coordinator at TSTC Waco, critical biotech tasks range from simple diagnostics and repairs to complex diagnostics and calibrations. “It will be critical to bottom lines that supporting equipment be online as much as possible, and trained technicians will be required to ensure that this occurs. Genentech [a major biotech company] has found that a graduate of an Associate degree program with the right skill set works perfectly and is most cost-effective as well.”
Continuing advances in biotechnology have the potential to dramatically improve human health and wellness, provide more efficient food production processes, contribute to a cleaner environment, enhance homeland security and support human identification techniques.
“Since the 9/11 disaster, the funding for infectious diseases has gone from essentially zero dollars to six billion dollars a year. NIH has also funded two National Biocontainment Labs, one of which is to be located at UTMB-Galveston,” said Dr. David G. Gorenstein, associate dean for research, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. The lab is a $160 million facility, and is estimated that it will create thousands of jobs. Educated, highly-qualified technicians will be essential to developing this laboratory. “UTMB-Galveston believes that community colleges will be an essential provider of such technicians,” added Gorenstein.
Biotechnology will continue to converge with other developing technologies, such as health care, information technologies, and nanotechnology. As biotech activities move from research to development to commercialization, the demand and percentage of biotechnicians with two year degrees will continue to increase.
“The most significant development in biotech over the next years will be the lack of a qualified workforce to meet the needs of the emerging technologies,” commented Janet Varela, Kelly Scientific.
The research on biotechnology was conducted by Texas State Technical College System Emerging Technology Programs and Technology Futures Inc. and published by TSTC Publishing. For additional information about this and future forecasts, please visit www.forecasting.tstc.edu. To order a copy of this publication and/or receive information about other publications from TSTC Publishing, please visit publishing.tstc.edu.
About Texas State Technical College
Texas State Technical College is a public coeducational institution of higher education offering courses of study in technical education leading to the award of Certificates and Associate of Applied Science degrees. TSTC also provides technical education and training to business and industry, continuing education to the public, and training programs for community and state economic development. TSTC colleges are located in Harlingen, Marshall, Waco and West Texas with extension centers in Abilene, Brownwood and Breckenridge. For more information, visit TSTC on the web at www.tstc.edu or call (800) 792-8784.
TSTC Emerging Technology Programs
TSTC Emerging Technology Programs identifies new career and technology education needs in the State of Texas to ensure Texas industries have an ample supply of qualified and highly skilled employees for the future. This program watches technology trends and the impacts on established and new occupations around the state. Topic areas that show promising employment opportunities are studied to determine if a sufficient demand will exist to warrant new curriculum. Typically, new topics fall within one or more existing industry and instructional domains, but, increasingly, we find new demands in the places between disciplines. These “job mergers” tend to offer higher pay and require challenging instructional design. Our goal is to enhance the economic competitiveness of Texas and ensure a competitively skilled workforce for future Texas employers. To find out more and to access research on other topics visit www.forecasting.tstc.edu.
About Technology Futures, Inc.
For 25 years, Technology Futures, Inc. has assisted its customers in developing practical business and operational solutions to problems in technology management, marketing, finance, business development, and strategic planning. Clients have ranged from three person start-ups to over half of the top 50 Fortune companies, leading government agencies, and top-tier universities. The continuing loyalty of TFI's many customers attests to the quality and utility of its consulting and research services. For more information, visit TFI on the web at www.tfi.com or call (800) 835-3887.
Learn more about TSTC Publishing at publishing.tstc.edu.
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