News and Events

Students get a taste of biotech on statewide Job Shadow Day

June 9, 2010

 

 

 Boston Latin School students visit Wolfe Laboratories in Watertown, MA

 

By Michael Devine

Members of academia and the biotechnology industry shared a few hours of valuable collaboration yesterday as more than 350 students enrolled in 13 BioTeach high schools spent their day in the labs of 12 companies across Massachusetts in the state’s first-ever statewide Biotechnology Job Shadow Day.

 

The event, which was sponsored by the Massachusetts Biotechnology Education Foundation (MassBioEd) and the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council (MassBio), provided students who are considering careers in the biotech field with an opportunity to gain firsthand knowledge of the kinds of tasks and responsibilities industry employees must complete on a daily basis.

 

Although groups of students from schools all across the state visited different companies, each participant followed a similar program of events. Upon arriving at the company’s facility, students took group photos and were greeted by MassBio and company representatives who delivered welcome addresses. The introduction session included a company-specific trivia game for the students that served as an ice breaker to get the day moving on a high note.

 

Students were eager to show how much they researched the company as they wowed employees with their answers to questions, some of which centered on company facts and items of historical note.

 

Following a prize giveaway to the trivia game champions, students paired up with scientists assigned to them in groups of one-on-one to four-on-one according to their interests regarding hands-on workplace experience. Some students shadowed lab technicians while others worked with employees in non-scientific positions like communications and human resources.

 

Among the 13 BioTeach schools that participated were public high schools from Marlborough, Lexington and Somerville, while some of the 12 companies were Shire, Cubist and Millipore.

 

There was a wide range in number of students at each company, with some of the larger ones like EMD Serono taking in 60 students from two schools and AstraZeneca hosting 40 students, while smaller companies like MicroTest hosted 12 students.

 

Lance Hartford, executive director of MassBioEd, called the event a success, adding that the future of the biotech industry in Massachusetts is dependent upon the availability of a qualified workforce.

 

“Activities like job shadowing or hands-on science labs are proven to pique students’ interest in STEM and often translate into an increase in students pursuing science in college and beyond,” he said.

 

Company personnel were equally excited with the response they got from the students who spent their day learning in a real world environment.

 

“Learning is a life-long practice. One should never stop discovering, asking ‘why’,” said Indu Javeri, Ph.D., CEO of Formatech. “We need to encourage and help develop this interest with today’s youth—as early as possible.”

 

Renee Connolly, vice president of US communications at EMD Serono, said she was pleased to welcome 60 high school students from Norton and Milton.

 

"In collaboration with the Mass Biotech Council, our goal is to expose them to the vast array of potential career opportunities available to them in the life sciences as they begin to make choices about their college direction and future,” she said. “Our employees enjoy sharing their passion for their jobs, as well as the company's purpose of advancing scientific and medical knowledge, with the next generation of employees and future biopharma leaders."

 

Margarita Hunter, head of Marketing and Communications at Wolfe Laboratories, said her company was happy to give Boston Latin students the opportunity to observe its scientists developing “breakthrough therapeutics that improve human health” to pique the students’ interest in the life sciences.

 

"The partnership between the biotech industry and Massachusetts’ future workforce is extremely important to Wolfe Laboratories, so we are thrilled to participate in the first-ever statewide Biotechnology Job Shadow Day,” she said.

 

MassBioEd, participating companies and BioTeach schools put many weeks worth of effort into the planning and execution of the Biotech Job Shadow Day, as MassBioEd helped the schools cover transportation costs while the companies supplied the professional mentors and refreshments.

 

MassBioEd will likely aim to sponsor future biotech job shadow days in an effort to involve more biotech companies in the Commonwealth while continuing to offer students sufficient resources to help them arrive at their ideal career path.

 

 

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