The ATM is excited to hear about the announcement of a new National Biomanufacturing Training Centre (NBTC), which will be located at the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT). The first of its kind, the NBTC is predicted to finish construction by the end of 2023, with training beginning in 2024. The$7.2 million investment (as provided by the Government of BC and Pacifica) is an important aspect of a multi-institutional province-wide effort to provide talent for the rapidly growing life sciences and biomanufacturing industry in BC.
“The new NBTC will bring together academia, government and industry partners (known as the triple-helix model) to offer professional, hands-on biomanufacturing training that is aligned with industry needs. It will be part of a national network of training facilities and will operate at BCIT in partnership with CASTL to deliver hands-on and theoretical training in biopharmaceutical manufacturing from a globally recognized curriculum.”
There is high demand for those with applicable training in this sector. For exanple, there is an estimated need for more than 16,000 Canadian employees by 2029 in bio manufacturing, more than 3,400 of which are located in Metro Vancouver. The state-of-the-art facility intends to train more than 700 people per year by 2026, with an emphasis on the following:
“At the NBTC, students and trainees will receive on-site hands-on and theoretical training in classrooms and mocked-up clean room environments equipped with state-of-the-art pilot-scale bioprocessing equipment. Led by experienced industry trainers, the courses will cover topics from contamination control and quality assurance to upstream and downstream bioprocessing. These will be suitable for operators through to senior management, as well as post-secondary students, who will gain practical skills that can be immediately taken into the workplace.”
Learn more about the NBTC and hear what leaders have to say about it