Bergen Community College is developing seventy-five (75) interactive instructional modules that constitute a five-course certificate leading to immediate employment and/or an Associate Degree in Science. The program is increasing students' math and computer skills, basic laboratory skills, technical understanding of instrumentation, protocol writing, written and verbal communication skills as well as critical thinking skills. The courses are delivered via 8 hour labs supplemented by Adobe Acrobat Pro hosted webinar classes. Students learn Biomanufacturing technical skills as identified by an NSF supported survey and virtually all of the skills in the first four ladders of the U.S. Department of Labor's Advanced Manufacturing Competency Model using hands-on methods. The program is incorporating computer based training (Electronic Laboratory Notebooks) that ensures students are skilled in documentation and computer applications as required under FDA regulation 21 CFR Section 11. The Quality Assurance (QA) Technician Certificate program retrains and upgrades skills for incumbent workers and also provides a science pathway from secondary school to community college and higher education, meeting the Quality Control and Quality Assurance workforce needs of New Jersey's highly regulated and growing pharmaceutical, chemical, fragrance, food, and personal care industries. High school teachers are being trained to deliver QA courses in secondary schools for dual enrollment. Project partners include industry leaders, American Society for Quality, the Tri-County WIBs and One-Stop Career Centers, BioLink, BioMan, and others.
