Ohio Life Sciences boosts BioTech workforce with $250,000 gift to Columbus State
Ohio Life Sciences (OLS), the industry trade association for biotechnology and life sciences organizations in Ohio, delivered a $250,000 gift to Columbus State Community College to create the Ohio Life Sciences Biotech Bootcamp.
The OLS Biotechnology Bootcamp is a certificate program that prepares students for biomanufacturing careers and other life sciences roles. Columbus State faculty, central Ohio biotechnology and biopharmaceutical employers, and OLS helped develop the curriculum and training.
The 12-week program creates a career path for the underemployed, career changers, military veterans, and high school and career-technical graduates. The program is designed to expand the workforce for the biotechnology and life sciences industries in central Ohio and across the state. The gift will cover program costs for up to 80 students over the next year. It will also support recruitment for Columbus State’s biotech programs.
The curriculum is intensively practical. It covers FDA regulations, good manufacturing practices, cleanroom processes, and lab equipment use. With their new set of skills, bootcamp graduates can enter the field as technicians, earning $19 to $24 per hour. The certificate serves as a foundation for more education (and greater earnings). In fall 2025, Columbus State will introduce its associate of science degree in biotechnology.
“We consider the OLS Biotechnology Bootcamp at Columbus State to be a leading model for biotech career and workforce development. Our investment here will help meet the demands of the region’s life sciences industry, and we know we must invest at schools in other regions in Ohio with similar programs and will work closely with JobsOhio and our elected leaders to ensure support for this industry remains a priority,” said Eddie Pauline, OLS president and CEO. “In developing this bootcamp, Columbus State has collaborated well with the growing number of area employers to create education opportunities that are affordable while still preparing students for success. As the life sciences industry grows here in Ohio, we are laser-focused on workforce development: ensuring Ohioans have access to the training they need to succeed in new life sciences jobs and ensuring companies have access to the right people to get the jobs done.”
“Ohio Life Sciences’ sponsorship is a leading example of how industry is not only partnering with the college, but investing in innovative models that broaden student access to career pathways within this life-changing industry,” said Cheryl Hay, executive director of Columbus State’s Office of Talent Strategy. “Ohio Life Sciences recognizes the commitment of our college to providing talent solutions to the region’s biomanufacturing sector. They have worked shoulder to shoulder with us to create education pathways that enable a student to go from an entry-level training offering such as the bootcamp, into a comprehensive, employment-ready associate degree. The transferability of the college associate program into a bachelor’s program provides ongoing career growth for the vast student population we serve. This support from Ohio Life Sciences will be instrumental in raising awareness of biomanufacturing education options and the benefits of employment in the sector.
The biotech and life sciences industry is growing rapidly in central Ohio and across the state thanks to new innovations coming from research institutions across the state and investments from JobsOhio. Since 2020, life sciences companies have invested more than $2 billion in infrastructure and created more than 7,350 new jobs. The average salary is close to $90,000 a year: about 40% higher than the average annual income in Columbus. Ohio’s life sciences industry includes biotech, biopharmaceuticals, medical devices, labs, digital health, gene and cell therapy, agricultural biotechnology, research and academic institutions.
“We applaud Ohio Life Sciences in recognizing the value of Columbus State’s biotech education programming and partnership with the local industry,” said Mandy Medve, senior director of talent acquisition for Forge Biologics, a leading gene therapy biotech company based in Columbus. “The Biotechnology Bootcamp is a consistent source for talented employee hires for our company, and it’s only one building block within the college’s workforce support for biomanufacturing employers. We look forward to seeing and being a part of what Columbus State does next in this exciting synergy between biotech employment needs and just-in-time curriculum alignment.”
Information sessions on the Biotechnology Bootcamp and Pharma Bootcamp are underway. Go to CSSC Bootcamps for more information.
