BioNetwork ensures workers can do the job: community colleges across the state work to offer training for jobs in the pharmaceutical and biomanufacturing industries.

The N.C. Community College System BioNetwork is one of North Carolina's most effective economic-development tools, and its impact has been unmistakable. The pharmaceutical and biomanufacturing industries are highly regulated, and the state is home to factories that make products for some of the world's largest companies.

It's a $9.4 billion a year industry, ranking the state third in the nation. Well-trained employees are critical to the profitability of these operations, and community colleges train two-thirds of the work force for the industry. In the late 1990s, it became apparent that North Carolina's large, expanding biomanufacturing operations were beginning to outgrow the pool of qualified workers. Although the community-college programs catering to these facilities were outstanding, the industry needed greater numbers than they could produce. Creating BioNetwork in 2003 with startup funding from Golden LEAF and subsequent state appropriations enabled community colleges to meet this challenge.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

BioNetwork is a statewide initiative that connects community colleges across North Carolina, providing specialized training, curricula and equipment to develop a world-class work force for the biotechnology, pharmaceutical and life-sciences industries. All community colleges serving the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sector are part of BioNetwork. Additionally, six BioNetwork Centers with statewide responsibilities provide a valuable resource to the network of colleges by developing new curricula and offering train-the-trainer workshops. The centers, staffed by highly experienced people directly out of industry, provide technical assistance. This allows college instructors to stay focused on their core business, which is teaching.

BioNetwork has had a multiplier effect by networking the colleges and helping them obtain much-needed specialized equipment, adding the expertise of the centers and launching an aggressive recruiting campaign. This multiplier effect has made industry and educators sit up and take notice. The NCCCS--already a leader in work-force development--suddenly became a system to be emulated. Northern Ireland plans to use BioNetwork as a model to transform several sectors of its economy.

In two years, BioNetwork has racked up an impressive list of achievements. It reaches nearly every county in the state, has issued 100 competitive grants to community colleges totaling almost $9 million, has dedicated...