Waltham, Massachusetts –The Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, a quasi-public agency tasked with implementing the state’s ten year, $1 billion Life Sciences Initiative, today announced a new Equipment and Supplies Program for Skills Training and Education that will match industry partner funding for the purchase of lab equipment at vocational technical schools, community colleges and workforce training organizations in Massachusetts. The program was formally announced this morning by Lieutenant Governor Timothy Murray at a statewide STEM Summit in Sturbridge, Massachusetts. The Center will begin accepting on-line applications for the new program on Monday, October 4, 2010. Applications will be submitted via the Center’s web site at www.masslifesciences.com.
The Equipment and Supplies Program for Skills Training and Education seeks to further the development of life sciences training and education by providing funding of up to $250,000 per institution for life sciences training equipment and supplies for applied laboratory and training space. Additional lab equipment will support these institutions and help to further educate students in real-world scenarios that will prepare them for opportunities in the life sciences. To be eligible for an award, applicants will need to secure matching funds from an industry partner that supports the training program for which the equipment and supplies are needed. Priority will be given to proposals with an industry partner engaged in the development of training, institutions in geographic proximity willing to share expensive equipment, and training programs with demonstrated success in placing students in skilled employment.
The Equipment and Supplies Program for Skills Training and Education is the newest program the Center is offering to support Massachusetts educational institutions and companies. Other programs include the Life Sciences Accelerator, the Small Business Matching Grant Program, the Internship Challenge, the Life Sciences Tax Incentive Program, and the Center’s Cooperative Research Matching Grant Program. More information on these programs can be found at www.masslifesciences.com.
“Massachusetts is a leader in life sciences and in education, and this program will help to ensure we remain on the forefront of both of these important areas,” said Governor Deval Patrick. “As we create new jobs in the life sciences, we need to ensure that our workforce is prepared to take advantage of these new opportunities.”
“Educators and top business leaders always tell me that a sharp focus on STEM education is the key to our current and future success,” said Lieutenant Governor Timothy P. Murray, whom the Governor tasked with chairing the STEM Advisory Council. “We are the home to cutting edge companies and top notch public schools but we know that we must continue and increase our efforts to ensure that innovation can thrive in the Commonwealth. By partnering with the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, we are making significant strides that will provide schools and the business community with tools necessary to improve our future workforce.”
“One of the most common concerns that I hear from leaders in the life sciences industry is the need for skilled workers, such as lab technicians and individuals with training in biomanufacturing,” said Dr. Susan Windham-Bannister, President & CEO of the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center. “By matching funding from industry partners for lab equipment, we can better prepare students and retrain workers for jobs in the life sciences. These jobs require great skill, but not a Bachelor’s or more advanced degree.”
“By giving students cutting edge laboratory skills using contemporary lab equipment, we create new opportunities for all learners to make a contribution as employees in the life sciences industry,” said Ron Marino, Workforce and Economic Development Coordinator for Minuteman Career and Technical High School in Lexington. “This program will bolster our career and technical education system and strengthen the connections to the life sciences industry, signaling Massachusetts as a sensible location for life sciences companies to locate and grow.”
About the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center
The Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (MLSC) is a quasi-public agency of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts tasked with implementing the Massachusetts Life Sciences Act, a ten-year, $1 billion initiative that was signed into law in June of 2008. The Center’s mission is to create jobs in the life sciences and support vital scientific research that will improve the human condition. This work includes making financial investments in public and private institutions that are advancing life sciences research, development and commercialization as well as building ties between sectors of the Massachusetts life sciences community. For more information, visit www.masslifesciences.com.
