Fifteen students from three of the area’s educational institutions are getting hands-on training through a new workforce development program and paid internship involving MARBIONC and Alcami Corp.

The new workforce development program, called "Partnership for Workforce Development in the Biopharmaceutical Industry," got its start at the University of North Carolina Wilmington in May, according to Marlon Weems, director of business development for MARBIONC, which stands for Marine Biotechnology in North Carolina.

The main campus of MARBIONC, off Masonboro Loop Road in Wilmington, is already home to a biotechnology accelerator that’s about 69,000 square feet of space housing private-public collaborations between the university and companies such as Alcami Corp., and others leasing the facility, Weems said.

"MARBIONC hopes to advance the local employment pipeline to provide a ready workforce to the biopharmaceuticals industry, which is growing in significance in this region of North Carolina,” Weems said.

MicroSolv Technology Corp., a firm that manufactures and markets technology used in analytical, organic and biochemistry laboratories, has leased about 900 square feet at the MARBIONC center. Alcami Corp., a provider of custom development and manufacturing services for the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, announced its academic partnership with UNCW's MARBIONC in the spring of 2017.

May marked the official start of a new workforce development program created through a partnership between Alcami, UNCW and local community colleges that focuses on developing an innovative approach to workforce development, officials with Alcami said in an email. 

"The academic partnership between Alcami and UNCW began in July 2016 with the development of two lecture courses related to current good manufacturing practices (cGMP) and has expanded  . . . to include a second laboratory-based course taught at UNCW’s state-of-the-art marine biotechnology center (MARBIONC)," company officials said.
 
“Alcami is working with UNCW and local colleges to advance the local employment pipeline, with a workforce already trained in biopharmaceutical processes and protocols,” said Catherine Hanley, senior director of Marketing and Corporate Communications. "We are passionate about bringing more of these jobs to Wilmington and our joint efforts will feed both regional and industry growth, and in turn bring safe drugs to market faster. The activities and training incorporated into its program will give interns at Alcami the unique opportunity to learn from the experiences of fellow interns at UNCW and research teams at MARBIONC.”  

The workforce development program will continue this fall with a lecture course presented by Alcami professionals, "Current Good Manufacturing Practices: Principles and Performance."

Weems said the new workforce development program is an evolution of the relationship between the MARBIONC and Alcami. Students will take courses, receive lectures lead by Alcami staff and be involved in a paid internship program involving lab work at both Alcami's facility and MARBIONC, he said.

"Essentially, where we started off a year ago has evolved into now bringing in the community colleges and offering the internships," Weems said of the program and relationship with Alcami.

Students involved in the internship come from UNCW, Cape Fear Community College and Brunswick Community College, Weems said.

“We’re bringing together assets from UNCW and other academic institutions in the region to collaborate with industry,” he said of young talent that is in the program from each of the three educational institutions.

This program, for its students, is an "opportunity to work in a lab environment and have lectures as a companion of that," Weems said. “The idea can be replicated with other companies, specifically to what their need is."

“We view every company in North Carolina, in the biopharmaceutical sector, as a potential partner. We know that it’s not a one size fits all, but if students at the end of the summer show measurable benefits as a result of the program, we can approach other biopharmaceutical companies and say, ‘This may make sense for you,'” he said.

The workforce development program is something Weems said he would like to share with others at the upcoming BIO International Convention, June 4-7 in Boston. Weems (left) has been selected to judge the "Start-Up Stadium" competition at the convention. 

Some of the companies that are going to be judged, Weems said, "all fit the potential of being a MARBIONC tenant.”

For MARBIONC, Weems said, his attendance at the conference creates a great opportunity to network with companies from all over the world, as well as new and upcoming companies. He also said it’s a great way to “raise our visibility as a potential partner.”