January 2023

Canada’s Bioscience Employers Recognized for Their Commitment to Diversity

VIDEO: Recipients of the I.D.E.A.L Bioscience Employer^TM designation

BioTalent Canada announced the recipients of its inaugural I.D.E.A.L. Bioscience Employer^TM designation.

The I.D.E.A.L. Recognition Program recognizes organizations in the Canadian bio-economy who embody the principles of inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility leadership (IDEAL), as best practices needed to promote growth and success in the biotech sector.

The program was launched earlier this year and BioTalent Canada received applications from organizations large and small across the country. After careful evaluation of all applications received through an impartial evaluation, nine recipients were selected to receive the I.D.E.A.L. Bioscience Employer designation.

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CASTL announces location for Quebec Biomanufacturing Training Facility

Charlottetown, PE and Montreal, QC – The Canadian Alliance for Skills and Training in Life Sciences (CASTL) announced today its expansion into Quebec with the location of their future Biomanufacturing Training Facility in Montreal.

Located at 4100 Molson Street, in the heart of the Technopôle Angus, the new 4544 square foot training facility will contain leading-edge pilot-scale bioprocessing equipment that will allow employees to gain practical skills that are immediately transferable to process scale-up and clean room environments. The facility will be equipped with laboratories and classroom spaces built to deliver the highest quality bioprocessing training. With this new facility, CASTL can deliver on-site customized hands-on and theoretical training for entry-level employees through to senior management and post-secondary students.

“CASTL is excited to buildout partnerships with academia, industry, and government in Quebec to address the future skills needs of the bioscience sector. This new facility located in Technopôle Angus responds to the demand for highly skilled personnel in Quebec’s growing biomanufacturing sector. We’re pleased to partner with Société de développement Angus on this initiative,” said Penny Walsh-McGuire, Executive Director, CASTL.

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Biomedical engineering students at your service

Are you looking to hire a new generation of professionals who are committed to medical progress? The students enrolled in Biomedical Engineering at the Bachelor’s and Master’s levels at Polytechnique Montréal are capable of advancing your projects related to the study and design of equipment and prostheses, the optical configuration of medical imaging systems and much more.

The four-year Bachelor of Biomedical Engineering program offers students the opportunity to put theory into practice through internships. Your company has the opportunity to add to its ranks freshly trained interns who have proven themselves in developing health-related mobile applications, sensor design, prosthesis design, bioassays, etc.

To find out more about the internship mandates that our students can carry out, please contact Ms. Darnly Dubois, coordinator of the Internship and Employment Service at Polytechnique Montréal: [email protected].

You are invited to contact her directly, or post your internship offers directly on their platform La Ruche.

Biotech Recognition Program Helps Job Seekers Stand Out

BioTalent Canada’s BioSkills Recognition Program has been updated with National Occupational Standards that allow new talent to distinguish themselves to prospective biotech employers.

The BioSkills Recognition Program enables bio-economy professionals who are new to Canada, university graduates, and experienced bio-economy workers to show employers that they have the skills needed to succeed within the biotech sector.

Now, the BioSkills Recognition Program has been enhanced with the inclusion of National Occupational Standards. These are a set of more than 50 standards for Canada’s bio-economy that have been recently validated by industry professionals and identify the skills, education, and experience needed to perform a specific role.

VIDEO: Learn more about the benefits of the BioSkills Recognition Program

$20,000 wage subsidy to make the bio-economy more diverse and inclusive

Many newcomers to Canada—IEPS and recent immigrants—struggle to find work in Canada’s bio-economy. There are many reasons for this, one of which is antiquated human resources plans employed by employers that rely on arm’s-length recruitment.
The Skilled Newcomer Internship for the Bio-economy program helps newcomers get a foot in the door. The program covers 75% of a participant’s salary up to a maximum of $20,000 for bio-economy employers to hire, accommodate and train IEPs for a three-to-nine-month work placement. It presents an opportunity for employers to access talented individuals they might not have otherwise considered for roles.
Funded in part by the Government of Canada’s Foreign Credential Recognition Program

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Hear from Industry Experts about what’s driving talent in Canada’s bio-economy

Latest Episodes
Episode 7 – BioVectra on Forward-Thinking, Fast-Acting
Episode 6 – Brunel on Recruitment and Diversification Strategies
Episode 5 – Anessa on The Powerful Benefits of Diversity
Episode 4 – CleanSlate UV’s Approach to Solving Two Staffing Issues – Attraction & Diversification
Episode 3 – Applied Biological Materials Inc. on Scientific (and Talent) Discoveries
Episode 2 – EMILI on Growing the Digital Ag Eco-System AND Leaving No One Behind
Episode 1 – Health Cities: One part science, two parts human resources

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