November/December 2024

BioTalent Canada Honoured at 2024 Best Ottawa Business Awards as Best Leader in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

BioTalent Canada is thrilled to announce its recognition as the Best Leader in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) at the 2024 Best Ottawa Business Awards (BOBs). This honour celebrates organizations that lead by example, foster inclusive workplaces, and advance equitable opportunities in their industries. The national not-for-profit workforce development council is headquartered in Ottawa.

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BioTalent Canada Unveils New Tools to Boost Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in Ontario’s Bio-Economy

BioTalent Canada is pleased to release new resources designed to help bio-economy employers attract, recruit, and retain persons with disabilities, fostering a more inclusive sector. The resources were developed through BioTalent Canada’s EnAbling Change Program, an initiative funded by the Government of Ontario to encourage inclusivity, diversity, equity, and accessibility (IDEA) within Ontario’s burgeoning bio-economy.

Check out both resources here:

The Enabling Change Program is funded by the Government of Ontario

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Help Shape a Diverse and Inclusive Future for Alberta’s Bio-economy

Our Labour Market Impact (LMI) survey is closing on Dec. 16th. Help assess and improve the representation of equity-deserving groups in Alberta’s bio-economy.

Your feedback supports Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA), driving meaningful change.

Don’t miss your chance to make a difference! Your input will guide the development of a resource library that addresses the real needs of bioscience employers in Alberta.

Please note, this research survey is specific to bio-economy employees in a company that is based in or has an office in Alberta. Respondents who are not currently working within the province of Alberta will not qualify for the $100 participation incentive.

To participate in the survey: https://www.research.net/r/AlbertaIDEA

The Province of Alberta is working in partnership with the Government of Canada to provide employment support programs and services.

Participate in the survey

BioTalent Canada Unveils National Skills Standard for Cleanroom Readiness to Support Biomanufacturing Workforce Development

BioTalent Canada proudly announces the release of its National Skills Standard for Cleanroom Readiness, designed to address critical skills shortages in Canadian biomanufacturing. The national skills standard, developed with industry experts, will empower employers to recruit and develop talent to meet the needed cleanroom competencies, addressing skills mismatches and strengthening Canada’s biomanufacturing capacity. Biomanufacturing training providers will be able to incorporate this standard in their programs to ensure new talent has the skills needed in the industry.

In partnership with Future Skills Centre, the National Skills Standard builds on BioTalent Canada’s previous efforts to highlight the importance of training for small—and medium-sized businesses’ adaptability within Canada’s bio-economy and provides foundational knowledge for the development of a cleanroom readiness certification program being developed by BioTalent Canada.

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We are honoured to be one of the recipients of the inaugural Magnet Awards for Pioneering Leadership in the Ecosystem (MAPLE) from Magnet Network Live

These awards recognize organizations that have made a significant impact on connectivity, inclusivity, and productivity in the future of work.

Congratulations to the other winners: Economic Development Winnipeg, Excellence in Manufacturing Consortium, and Canada’s Building Trades Unions & SkillPlan.

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With Canada’s Bio-economy Deciphered, take a deep dive into the bio-economy’s four sub-sectors and gain an understanding of the industry’s landscape and trends.

With an additional 65,000 workers required by 2029 to meet the growing needs of the Canadian bio-economy, finding ways to encourage skilled talent to start or continue their careers in a sector full of opportunities has never been more important.

BioTalent Canada’s new series of courses, Canada’s Bio-economy Deciphered, are designed to help job seekers, industry entrants, and students decipher this often misunderstood but critical sector of the Canadian economy.

The five self-paced courses in the series includes:

Deciphering Canada’s Bio-economy
The Bio-health Sub-sector Deciphered
The Agri-bio Sub-sector Deciphered
The Bio-industrial Sub-sector Deciphered
The Bio-energy Sub-sector Deciphered

Valued at $100, BioTalent Canada is offering access to the courses for free!

For more information or to register for the courses, visit biotalent.ca/deciphered.

Are you interested in learning more about how BioTalent Canada can boost your team’s professional development? Contact Soufiane at [email protected].

More from our partners…

NOW OPEN: Applications for the 2025 Fellowship opens on November 12, 2024

The objective of the J. Andrew McKee Fellowship Program in Type 1 Diabetes, supported by SCN & Breakthrough T1D (formerly known as JDRF) is to attract new qualified, promising post-doctoral scientists entering their professional career in the T1D research field to join the Breakthrough T1D Centre of Excellence at UBC. The Breakthrough T1D Centre of Excellence at the University of British Columbia (UBC) launched in November, 2021 with the goal of accelerating novel type 1 diabetes (T1D) cure research towards clinical translation.

One award will be provided through the program each year in 2022-2026 for the successful applicant to take up at UBC as part of the Centre team. This award is 1 year in duration and is intended for those in a relatively early stage in their career. The supervisors at the Centre of Excellence have committed an additional 2 years of funding support for each recruited Fellow, as such, the successful candidate should anticipate their time at the Centre to be at least 3 years in length.

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From Molecular Biology to Biomanufacturing: How CASTL’s Elevate Program Opened New Doors

After earning a molecular biology degree, Mauricio Romero realized he lacked the practical skills to enter the workforce—until he discovered CASTL’s Elevate program. This flexible, fully funded training program helped him gain the practical skills he needed to land a job at Phyton Biotech, working on chemotherapy drug purification. His story highlights how Elevate can unlock career opportunities in biomanufacturing, whether you’re starting out or changing careers.

For biomanufacturers, Elevate graduates provide a pool of qualified biomanufacturing technicians ready for hire.

Read Maurico Romero’s story here.

To learn more about registering for the program, visit the CASTL website.

To learn more about hiring our graduates, please contact Jennifer Lenentine, Program Manager, at [email protected].

Looking to connect with industry experts in the bio-economy?

Check out upcoming event listings and connect with us to promote your upcoming event!
Want to promote your event with us? Contact Soufiane at [email protected].