Philly orgs are partnering with a gene therapy manufacturing company for this new workforce development cohort

A coalition of life science organizations are partnering to continue a workforce development opportunity for underemployed Philadelphians interested in the field.

The Wistar Institute, West Philadelphia Skills Initiative (WPSI), Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC) and Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia have enlisted cell and gene therapy manufacturing company VintaBio for the Biomedical Technician Training Program: Lab Technician, they announced last week.

It’s the latest iteration of the Biomedical Technician Training Program that Wistar has been running for 20 years with various partners.

Navy Yard-based VintaBio emerged from stealth mode with a $64 million raise in spring 2023. CEO David Radspinner told Technical.ly it’s difficult to find experienced talent in the gene therapy manufacturing space.

Short term, the goal is to bring new skilled workers into VintaBio to support the company’s growth, Radspinner said. But long term, participating in a program like this supports workforce development for the life sciences sector across the region — something a number of local stakeholders are focused on.

“Across the industry, the need for talent is very high,” he said, “and so we want to participate in that and help people expand their career in the STEM fields.”

Applications for the program are open now until Jan. 30.

The paid, 22-week Biomedical Technician Training Program includes 10 weeks of a life sciences foundations course at Wistar, two weeks of lab orientation and a 10-week externship with VintaBio. Candidates who complete the program can interview for full-time positions at VintaBio.

When companies get to know program participants as externs, they are more likely to hire them for a full-time role later, Wistar Dean of Biomedical Studies Kristy Shuda McGuire told Technical.ly. That’s a goal when Wistar and WPSI are seeking employer partners.

“Everybody in the program is looking for full-time work,” McGuire said.

Wistar started the Biomedical Technician Training Program in 2000 as a partnership with the Community College of Philadelphia to help students gain hands-on experience in the biomedical field. In 2022, Wistar partnered with WPSI, Iovance Biotherapeutics and other local organizations to launch the Biomedical Technician Training Program: Aseptic Manufacturing, which is now on its second cohort.

This is the third cohort of the Biomedical Technician Training Program for PIDC’s Navy Yard Skills Initiative, which focuses on workforce development at the Navy Yard business hub in South Philadelphia. The previous two cohorts were part of the aseptic manufacturing program.

“This program continues to create equitable access to meaningful, accessible career opportunities in one of the region’s fastest growing sectors by lowering the barrier of entry,” Kate McNamara, PIDC’s SVP at the Navy Yard, said in a written statement.

The minimum requirement to apply for the program is a high school diploma or GED equivalent, Philadelphia residency, and successful completion of an English and math placement test. Most importantly, McGuire said, the training program is looking for people who are passionate about entering the biomedical field. The program hopes to place 10 participants at VintaBio.

This story is a part of Technical.ly’s Pathways to Tech Careers Month. See the full 2024 editorial calendar.