This content was published: September 23, 2008. Phone numbers, email addresses, and other information may have changed.
College recruiting for new Bioscience Tech program
Photos and story by James Hill
Bioscience manufacturing jobs will be available to the public through a training partnership between Portland Community College and companies Genentech, HemCon, Welch Allyn, and Precision Wire Components.
The new Bioscience Technology Certificate courses will be offered in the evenings Jan. 5 through June 14, 2009, at the Rock Creek Campus, 17705 N.W. Springville Road. The training is 13 credits and qualifies employees to work in entry-level bioscience manufacturing jobs. Starting wages for this industry tend to be higher than traditional manufacturing work, ranging from $14 to $16 per hour at Genentech and comparable wages at other bioscience companies.
“Because bioscience is a relatively young industry in Oregon, there are few trained workers available locally to fill entry level manufacturing positions,” said Linda Browning, business services coordinator for PCC Workforce Development. “PCC is working to supply a steady pipeline of workers by offering this training program.”
Scholarships funded by the companies are available and will cover the full cost of tuition, books, parking and fees. To learn more about this training, prospective students need to attend one of the following orientation sessions at the Capital Career Center (Room 1508, 18624 N.W. Walker Road): 6 to 7:30 p.m., Oct. 2 or 16; 10:30 a.m. to noon, Oct. 9 or 23.
For more information, call Madhu Narayan, resource support assistant for PCC Workforce Development, at (503) 533-2713 or Linda Browning at (503) 533-2535. Visit the program’s Web site at: workforceallianceonline.org/capcenter