Bioscience Core Skills Institute (BCSI)

Registration closes in two weeks for our BCSI Certified Evaluator Training at Austin Community College. Register today or reach out if you have questions. I'll look forward to seeing you all there!

Oscar Ramirez was the first student to sit for the Bioscience Core Skills Institute (BCSI)'s performance based testing and microcredentials. Before our official launch, we needed to vet our testing with industry. We convened over 30 industry representatives, passed out our rubrics, and demonstrated the testing live in front of them. The missing piece? We needed a few intrepid students to perform the skills in front of a large audience. Oscar, my former student at the Kansas City Kansas Biomanufacturing Training Laboratory, not only stepped up, he showed up early, helped us set up, and stayed for the day to network with the industry attendees. I have zero doubt that Oscar would have succeeded with or without BCSI but I'm thrilled to be part of his story. Thank you, Manufacturing USA for recognizing this rare individual! Congratulations, Oscar!

If you're interested in high-containment laboratory work, don't miss this opportunity! Kansas State University is now accepting applications for their 2025 summer fellowship program sponsored by the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). Informational meetings are being held Oct. 17 and 30. Check it out! #sciencecareers #biotech #training #biology #chemistry

Student applications for #NIIMBLeXperience2025 are now open! First and second year college students can apply to one of seven unique programs next summer to gain insight into career possibilities in the #biopharma industry. The application deadline is February 7, 2025. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eAZrU3nk #NIIMBLeXperience2025 #NIIMBLeXperienceACPHS #NIIMBLeXperienceNCState #NIIMBLeXperienceSCU #NIIMBLeXperienceWistar #NIIMBLeXperienceUH #NIIMBLeXperiencePurdue #NIIMBLeXperiencePRSTRT #biopharma #biotech #talent #workforceofthefuture #STEM #biopharmaceuticalmanufacturing #diversity #futureofbiopharmamanufacturing #niimbl

Last, but absolutely not the least, I wrapped up my #BWB with two days in Burlington, MA at Northeastern University's Innovation Campus training this highly skilled and super dynamic group of Bioscience Core Skills Institute (BCSI) Certified Evaluators! Two days of testing and training together and now we can deploy them into bioscience training programs across the region to deliver BCSI's skills validation testing and microcredentials allowing learners/earners to show off their amazing skills when applying for jobs, work studies, internships, and apprenticeships to forward their career goals. I'm so excited to have you join BCSI, folks! Welcome aboard, Eleanor Show, Jonas Barcoma, and Craig Lange from Northeastern University, Vivek Bajaj and Natalie Kuldell from BioBuilder Educational Foundation, Irene Saulnier from Thermo Fisher Scientific, and Nirmal Singh, PhD from Mass Bay Community College! Special thanks to Michael Stanger and Jared Auclair for welcoming us back to their campus and expanding the program's services to our Massachusetts partners. BCSI treasures this partnership!

"... there’s been an uptick in recent months, especially in certain kinds of online classes, that has forced professors to focus on hunting bots instead of teaching. Professors now are expected to test their students in the first weeks, asking them to submit answers to prompts, sign copies of the syllabus, or send other evidence to prove they are real.  Increasingly, she said, the bots are evading detection, especially with the help of AI. “They’re submitting assignments...” she said." I was an online college professor for nearly 15 years. I remember when the bots started enrolling in huge numbers. Seem silly that online instructors have to submit attendance? That's because bots sign up for courses to collect federal aid dollars and then never show up for class. With AI, the bots can now show up for class and submit assignments. This is not just a great strategy to steal aid dollars. It is also a viable strategy to earn credits and degrees without demonstrating competency. I predict AI is going to kill online education for a bit while we get a grip on this. In the meantime, high-quality, authentic assessment performed in-person will become the only viable way to confirm knowledge and skills. #interestingtimes #microcredentials #bcsi

We’re excited to share this first peek at BioSuite Virtual, Prism Immersive's training platform designed to transform how biomanufacturing skills are taught. This cutting-edge tool will be used in both academic and industrial settings, offering a scalable and efficient approach to training the next generation of bioindustrial professionals. The trainee will learn key concepts in fermentation science, full bioreactor assembly and operations, monitoring and controlling of key variables, and more while immersed in a virtual laboratory. With key input from our ecosystem, consisting of more than a dozen sites piloting our program, BioSuite Virtual is truly built for the biomanufacturing community, by the biomanufacturing community. BioSuite Virtual will provide:  - Immersive Mixed Reality training that places users in a realistic environment with bioreactor models, manipulable elements, built-in support tools, demos, and animations. - Flexible, scalable training for technicians that significantly reduces the time and cost associated with traditional, in-person education.  - Anywhere, anytime access, allowing users to repeat processes at their own pace, ensuring mastery and reducing the risk of mistakes in real-world applications.  - Credentials, enabling trainees to track and build their skills as they progress.  - Realistic, hands-on simulations that allow trainees to interact with biomanufacturing processes in a Mixed Reality environment. As the demand for skilled professionals in biomanufacturing grows, BioSuite Virtual will close the skills gap, ensuring that both students and current employees are prepared to meet the challenges of the growing bioeconomy. We look forward to sharing more as this platform develops. Contact us if you'd like to learn more. #BioSuiteVirtual   #PrismImmersive   #Biomanufacturing   #MixedReality #WorkforceDevelopment   #VirtualTraining  #Bioeconomy  #ImmersiveLearning

Yesterday, while meeting with a university in North Carolina, I was asked, "Do you think BCSI microcredentials are even necessary for a four year school since we confer bachelors degrees?" Yes. Yes, I do. Skills-based third party credentials allow a university to signal to their work ecosystem that they not only confer knowledge on their graduates, but also skills. The result? Their graduates get hired over graduates with no evidence of skills acquisition. And in the world of AI-drafted resumes, evidence is more important than ever. "Pairing an industry-recognized credential with a bachelor’s degree is a winning combination in the job market. This is evident in a fascinating market research survey that asked about hiring preferences when selecting among three hypothetical candidates: one with a bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity, one with a bachelor’s degree in English and one with a bachelor’s degree in English and a cybersecurity credential. The English major with an industry-recognized cybersecurity credential beats the cybersecurity major by a factor of 3 and the English major by a factor of 4."