Biotechnology Industry Gets A Boost From Community College Degrees

A university isn’t the only place to start a career in biotechnology—community colleges are stepping up to respond workforce needs through new bachelor’s degrees programs.

Research supported by Joyce Foundation and Ascendium Education Group at the think-tank New America found that twenty-five U.S. states allow community colleges to offer bachelor’s degrees, a departure from their historical roots offering associate degrees that lead to transfer to a 4-year university where students would complete a bachelor’s degree. This development is helping community colleges meet the biotechnology industry’s manufacturing needs in a subfield called biomanufacturing.