The purpose of this project is to design and implement career pathways in biotechnology, specifically in agricultural science research technology. This includes the development of: 1) a biotechnology certificate program, which contains courses in agricultural science, with dual enrollment options; and 2) community information seminars/workshops on biotechnology. The primary target audiences include technical college students, high school students, individuals working in the biotechnology field, and residents of the region, including nearby communities.
Intellectual Merit: Biotechnology is a rapidly advancing field, with new discoveries and applications that are changing the face of such diverse fields as agriculture, environmental remediation, forensics, and health care. The biosciences serve as the tools for many improvements to daily life often taken for granted. The college, through its Workforce and Community Development unit, conducted a review and analysis of existing agricultural science biotechnology training programs. Using this information, this model program in agricultural biotechnology has an emphasis on preparing students for employment in a biotechnology field and/or to continue their science education. The plans to accomplish this goal include mentoring and advisement, group study activities, and other academic interventions to increase the level of preparation of students in the critical classes for their majors. In addition, the project provides career counseling and internships that enhance academic experience and computer expertise of students in order to prepare them for the next step in their professional careers.
Broader Impacts: The college serves over 12,000 students each year in credit and non-credit education programs and offers degrees, diplomas, and certificates in some of the fastest growing career fields as it strives to deliver a competent workforce for current and future Lowcountry employers. A large percentage of the native population is currently under-employed and works at low wage service jobs, primarily in seasonal, tourism related enterprises. The resort climate is enticing both aging retirees and mobile executives to the region at exponential rates. These new residents comprise an economic sector that demands advanced biotechnology services in fields such as agriculture, forensics, pharmaceutics, biomedical and environmental fields. Several biotechnology firms as well as clinical, environmental, and forensics labs are operating within a one hundred mile radius of the college. The program is having a positive impact on student retention and graduation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) related disciplines. The evaluation of the program is based on the percentage of students who graduate and transfer to a four-year college with a STEM related major; percentage of students who graduate and find employment in the biotechnology field; increased enrollment in STEM disciplines; and the number of high school students who enroll in STEM programs at the college.
