TOGETHER WE CONNECT: TRAINING DEVELOPMENT AND TALENT ACQUISITION.

• Position: RESEARCH: NORTH CAROLINA: NORTH CAROLINA COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEM

Our state continues to need scientific, engineering, and technical talent to support rapid industry growth. High-technology sectors continue to add jobs that pay above national averages. From 2020 through 2022 the North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS) announced nearly 15,000 new jobs totaling a $19.3B economic impact. The biopharma sector alone needs nearly 5,000 jobs in the next 3-5 years. Now is the best time to transition or advance in your career, but how does one get to make this dream a reality? BioNetwork, the life science training initiative of the NCCCS, works with colleges, companies, and students to connect talent development and talent acquisition needs of the life science industry. BioWork is a great place to start.

Sarah Cote shows us that a career path can have many chapters. After working in several distinct professions, Cote landed a career in the biopharma industry that brought together all of her skill sets. She is a graduate of the single-semester BioWork course which is designed to give students the foundational skills for a career in biopharma manufacturing.

COMMON THREAD

On a "whim," she decided to sign up for classes at Central Carolina Community College and found that she loved the work. Cote got an associate degree in machining technology and worked at a local manufacturing company. "I started as a machine operator, and four months later, I was promoted into the machine shop, becoming the only female who had ever worked in that department," she says. "My grandfather was a master tool-and-die maker, but I didn't know that until after I was already in the industry. Learning that was neat--sometimes you don't know where your interests stem from."

Eventually she went back to school and got a second associates degree, this time in respiratory therapy.

"I really loved that work," Cote says. "When you're caring for people, you are paying it forward in a way. One day, you or somebody in your family might be in that same situation, and you want them to receive the best care possible. So, when you become a medical professional, you strive every day to do that."

After working as a respiratory therapist for five years, it was time for a change. Cote explored the biopharmaceutical industry.

LEARNING THE ROPES

Cote first heard about the BioWork course through connections on LinkedIn.

"I communicated via LinkedIn with people who worked at Pfizer and other companies," she recalls. "They said, 'The BioWork class is only...