Boston, Massachusetts (5/4/2022) – BioConnects New England (BCNE) and the MassHire Boston Workforce Board (MBWB) are excited to announce a partnership to create a robust biomanufacturing industry cluster in the New England region.
With this partnership, BioConnects New England and the MassHire Boston Workforce Board aim to promote the growth and sustainability of the life sciences industry in New England through academic excellence and strategic programming. Additionally, BioConnects New England and MBWB agree to foster research and training collaboration on a range of projects. The MassHire Workforce board is also committed to attending the annual coalition meeting, hosting partners, and assisting with outreach to employers and local communities, as well as to assisting in leveraging funds/slots for internships/apprenticeships and providing training assistance to BCNE beneficiaries-employer outreach, monitoring visits, and recruitment through career centers.
“The MassHire Boston Workforce Board will be a great partner of BioConnects New England,” said Jared Auclair, Ph.D., an associate dean at Northeastern University and director of their Biopharmaceutical Analysis Training Lab and co-lead of BioConnects New England. “Their goals fit well with the coalition’s, and they are integrally connected with the urban workforce, which is a part of the population we especially want to reach.”
“We are excited to announce this partnership between the MassHire Boston Workforce Board and BioConnects New England,” said Joseph McLaughlin, director of research and evaluation for MBWB. “We appreciate the work the coalition is doing to make more jobs in the biotech industry available to more people, and we look forward to contributing to this effort.”
Through its grant challenge sponsored by the Economic Development Administration, BioConnects New England is leveraging its resources in the region to create a robust biomanufacturing industry. Massachusetts-based Northeastern University leads the coalition, which includes The Biopharmaceutical Analysis Training Laboratory at Northeastern University, The Roux Institute at Northeastern University in Portland, Maine, Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, Gloucester Marine Genomics Institute, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, -the I-195 Design & Innovation District in Providence, Rhode Island, the University of Rhode Island, and FocusMaine. The coalition will lead K-12 education and engagement activities, jumpstart prototyping and incubation facilities throughout the region, and invest in accessible start-up entrepreneurship programming.
ABOUT BIOCONNECTS NEW ENGLAND
BioConnects New England is a multi-state coalition and finalist of the Build Back Better Regional Challenge—a $1 billion program sponsored by the Economic Development Administration. Through this initiative, BioConnects New England will create a biomanufacturing cluster in the region of Massachusetts, Maine, and Rhode Island that have been historically excluded from the biotechnology industry, one of the fastest-growing sectors in New England with national importance. This coalition will connect hubs throughout New England to support existing—and establish new—biomanufacturing infrastructure as a pathway to increase employment and educational opportunities for underserved regions and populations.
ABOUT THE MASSHIRE BOSTON WORKFORCE BOARD
The MassHire Boston Workforce Board is one of 16 workforce boards statewide, fulfills its responsibilities under the terms of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunities Act, and is managed by the Boston Private Industry Council. The MassHire Workforce Board oversees the distribution of public workforce development funds in collaboration with the Mayor’s Office of Workforce Development. The Board charters Boston’s one-stop career centers and works through them to implement workforce development strategies. MassHire creates and sustains powerful connections between businesses and job seekers through a statewide network of employment professionals.
