January 26, 2022 (Cambridge, MA) – John Brothers has been named Senior Director of Workforce Development Strategy at the Massachusetts Biotechnology Education Foundation (MassBioEd), a nonprofit focused on education, training, and workforce development within the Commonwealth’s growing Life Sciences sector. This new role will drive programming and partnerships that support an expanded workforce pipeline, bringing more trained and diverse talent to the sector. John has led workforce development and adult education programs as Executive Director of the YMCA of Greater Boston. Previously he led Quincy Asian Resources for 12 years, developing college and career readiness, adult education, and workforce programs serving the growing immigrant community south of Boston.

John joins two seasoned leaders in workforce development. MassBioEd’s CEO, Sunny Schwartz, who brings 20+ years of leadership experience in workforce development policy and partnership building in providing employers with a highly skilled workforce and expanding access to great careers for low-income residents. Before joining MassBioEd, Sunny served as President & CEO of the MassHire Metro North Workforce Board, overseeing workforce development for a 20-city region. Since 2019, Sunny has focused on the expansion of MassBioEd’s workforce development programs, leading to the launch of one of the first Life Sciences Apprenticeship Programs in the nation, an initiative led by Karla Talanian, Senior Director of the Life Sciences Apprenticeship Program. Karla has held multiple roles in industry and academia and previously worked at Just-a-Start before joining MassBioEd in 2018. Over the past two years, Karla and Sunny have developed and launched two registered apprenticeship programs which create pathways for new talent to enter the industry.

John will focus on expanding career services for job seekers from underserved communities through new partnerships and programs. The team also remains focused on expanding training offerings and opportunities for both job seekers and the current life sciences workforce.

The growing expertise on the workforce development team reflects MassBioEd’s commitment to connect a new pool of talent from our communities to meaningful and robust careers at this time of monumental growth in the industry.

“It is an exciting time to be growing our team as we support the dynamic workforce needs of Massachusetts’ life sciences industry. We are thrilled to expand our capacity to bring new talent into life sciences companies, meeting employers’ needs, while also opening opportunities to individuals looking to enter the industry or make a career change.”

Sunny Schwartz, Chief Executive Officer, MassBioEd

To learn about MassBioEd’s Life Sciences Apprenticeship Program and other opportunities to partner on educating and training the workforce of the future, please visit https://www.massbioed.org.

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About MassBioEd Foundation

The MassBioEd Foundation (MassBioEd) is a 501(c)(3) charitable non-profit organization. Its mission is to build a sustainable life sciences workforce in the region through educational programs that engage and excite teachers, inspire and propel students, and illuminate the pathway from the classroom to careers with a focus on expansion, opportunity, and diversity.

MassBioEd Media Contact:

Name: Megan Schulz | Email: megan.schulz@massbioed.org | Phone: (617) 674-5137