Workforce Development:

The BLSP organized a Human Capital Committee composed of local industry, school and government representatives to assess the work skill needs of life sciences employers and devise plans to insure the availability of people with those skills for the local workforce. During an exhaustive strategic planning process, the group identified over 70 skill gaps in the K-12, Higher Education and Current Workforce areas and 170 potential measures to remedy those gaps. Function-specific and cross-functional teams were established to work on programs to close the gaps. The strategic planning team from the HCC meets periodically to assess progress on these programs and, as needed, to revise the Workforce Development strategic plan.

One outgrowth of the HCC's efforts is the new Indiana Center for the Life Sciences. The Center is a joint venture of Monroe County, Ivy Tech Community College, Bloomington, WorkOne, the south central Indiana workforce board, and the BLSP. The Center offers courses for unemployed and under-employed workers to prepare them for entry level life sciences industry positions in both the bio-pharma and the medical device industry as well as Associates degree programs in biology, chemistry, microbiology and biotechnology. The Center will be housed in a new facility adjacent to the Ivy Tech - Bloomington campus. The 20,000 square foot facility will be constructed during 2007 and will contain four science labs, three classrooms and a manufacturing training space.

Indiana University's College of Arts and Sciences offers several programs combining an undergraduate degree in biotechnology with extra course work in the College, the IU law school or the Kelley business school so students can obtain an MS, a JD or an MBA on an accelerated schedule in preparation for a career in the life sciences. Additionally, the Indiana University Department of Continuing Studies offers a program for Managing in the Life Sciences Industry. This program exposes individuals to the requirements and challenges of doing business in a regulated medical environment.