Baltimore City Community College program will train 200 students annually

ANNAPOLIS, MD (January 28, 2009) -- Governor Martin O’Malley today announced that the University of Maryland BioPark, a biomedical research park located in on the campus of the University of Maryland, Baltimore, will have a new tenant next year.  The Board of Public Works has approved a 10-year lease for space to be occupied by the Baltimore City Community College (BCCC) Life Sciences Institute.

The lease provides 31,622 square feet of space at 801 West Baltimore Street to be used to train as many as 200 students a year.  Wexford Science and Technology, LLC, based in Hanover, Maryland, is the developer of the building. The Life Sciences Institute is designed to prepare students for rewarding careers in high-demand biotechnology fields.

“This exciting sharing of space, resources, expertise and services will benefit Baltimore City residents by providing more career and technology education program options for graduating high school seniors,” said Governor O’Malley.  “By locating in the BioPark, students and faculty will receive tangible benefits through collaboration with the University of Maryland, Baltimore and businesses located in the region. The direct economic impact of the Life Sciences Institute will be the development of a workforce educated and trained to successfully undertake the new jobs projected in the health/biosciences industries.”

BCCC will move its Biotechnology, Environmental Science, Arts & Science Transfer (Pre-Dental, Pre-Medical, Pre-Pharmacy) programs to the BioPark location. In addition, BCCC has plans to develop several workforce certificate and training programs such as Medical Laboratory Technician, Cell Culture Technician, Animal Research Technician, Forensics Laboratory Science, and Sterilization. Customized on-site training programs serving the needs of local life science employers including federal research institutions such as the National Institutes of Health that are located in the region could include OSHA regulations, GMP, GLP, and other customized training.

“We are thrilled to be a part of Governor O’Malley’s focus on life sciences workforce training,” said BCCC President Dr. Carolane Williams.  “The Life Sciences Institute will directly support Maryland’s families with its focus and unique curriculums offering new careers for the unemployed and the underemployed.”

The Life Sciences Institute is also a core element of a developing program between the Vivien T. Thomas Medical Arts Academy High School, BCCC and University of Maryland. This high school, located near the UM BioPark, is a Baltimore City public science careers high school offering 600 students Biotechnology, Pharmacy Tech, Surgery Tech, and Allied Health career pathways.  The 4+2+2 program — so-called because after obtaining their four-year high school degree, students can pursue a two-year associates degree a few blocks away at BCCC, and then go on for two more years at University of Maryland to obtain their Bachelor’s degree — will offer a clear career pathway in manageable steps to city students who may not have seen college in their future. BCCC and University of Maryland will work with the high school administration to support students in areas of academics, career exploration, college preparation and internships. Bioscience companies residing in the UM BioPark and UM research centers will be key partners in exposing students to a variety of exciting scientific career paths.

Having the BCCC Institute on the University of Maryland campus will also create new opportunities for student interaction with the University through access to internships and job shadowing. With the State of Maryland building its new Forensic Medical Center in the BioPark and new companies locating there, there is a natural fit for such programs.

“As the bioscience industry continues to mature in Maryland and more biological products come on the market, there will be a growing need for trained workers not just at the Ph.D.  scientist     level,” said Jim Hughes, President, University of Maryland Research Park Corporation.  “The BCCC Life Sciences Institute will train the workers that will allow Maryland to retain, spawn and attract bioscience companies.  Workforce is always one of the top issues defining a company’s success.”

The Forensic Medical Center is the fourth of an award winning 12-building scientific complex that will bring 2,500 jobs to Baltimore’s west side.  In the four years since it was established, the BioPark employs nearly 450 people and has generated more than $135 million in capital investments.

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Contact: Linda Cassard, University of Maryland, Baltimore, 410-706-5036