Projects

BioTalent Canada has a successful track record of delivering human resources projects including: wage subsidies/career placements, labour market research, skills development and transferable skills projects to ensure bio-economy employers have access to the talent they need.

Active Projects

Building a safer bio-economy: Addressing sexual harassment in the workplace

Main Objective To create safer, more inclusive workplaces across Canada’s bio-economy by providing employers with practical tools and training to recognize, prevent, and address workplace sexual harassment. The project objectives are to: Equip employers with knowledge of their legal responsibilities around workplace sexual harassment; Support the development and adoption of inclusive, trauma-informed workplace policies; Increase…

Career Starter Program (2024-2028)

Main Objective Facilitate the transition of barriered youth, aged 15- 30, into meaningful jobs in Canada’s bio-economy, bridging the gap between talent and industry while enabling employers to strengthen their workforce.   The program objectives are to: Help youth with barriers and youth furthest from employment achieve the work experience and skills they need to seamlessly…

Addressing Talent Shortages in Biomanufacturing Cleanrooms through a Practical Certification Assessment

Main objective  To increase small- and medium-sized enterprises’ (SME) adaptability, enabling SME employers to determine whether prospective talent has the skills and abilities to work in a cleanroom environment through an industry-validated certification practical assessment.   The project objectives are to:  Address the talent shortage within sterile cleanroom environments by building a pipeline of qualified talent…

Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) in Alberta’s Bio-Economy

Main objective    Build industry and employer capacity to increase workforce participation of equity-deserving groups at all job levels in Alberta’s bio-economy, especially within the manufacturing sector.    The project objectives are to:    Encourage Alberta bio-economy employers to attract equity-deserving groups as a source of talent by promoting actionable strategies and presenting realistic tools and tactics that…

Enabling Change Program (2023-2024)

Main Objective: Help create equitable opportunities in the bio-economy and drive a culture of respect and dignity for persons with disabilities while supporting awareness and regulatory compliance for the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA).  The program objectives are to:   Increase awareness of diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (IDEA), and the importance of persons…

Employing barriered youth in Canada’s bio-economy (2021-2024)

The “Employing Barriered Youth in Canada’s Bio-economy Program” will minimize perceived risk to small and medium-sized biotechnology companies by covering the cost of a youth’s salary by 50% to a maximum $20,000 for a three (3) to nine (9)-month period.

Building Resiliency and Sustainability for the Bio-economy to Withstand Disruption

To engage BioTalent Canada’s network to research and evaluate the innovative practices and technologies implemented by agile, resilient, and diverse Canadian bio-economy employers to excel in
highly disruptive economic situations. BioTalent Canada will gather, assess and disseminate these effective models to accelerate their adoption enabling organizations to leverage lessons learned and shock-proof against future disturbances.

Completed Projects

Skilled newcomer internships for the bio-economy (2021-2023)

Main Objective To provide internationally educated professionals (IEPs) with skills development and employment opportunities via work placements with small-to-medium sized enterprises (SME) across Canada. The project objectives are to: Support IEPs’ access to meaningful employment opportunities, securing their contribution to the Canadian bio-economy and workforce, with knowledge and skills training; Support SMEs in hiring, retaining,…

The BioReady Paid Internship Program (2017-2019)

August 2017 – November 2019 – To decrease the apparent gamble of hiring newcomers lacking Canadian experience, bio-economy employers can recover the cost of a BioReady recognized IEP’s salary.

Science Horizons (2017-2019)

July 2017 – July 2019 Industry Need: Private sector companies regularly argue that it can be risky to take on new graduates with no previous work experience in the sector. This viewpoint is in line with research recently conducted by BioTalent Canada’s member organization – Life Sciences Ontario (LSO). LSO released a Sector Report in 2015…

Opportunities Fund (2015-2018)

October 2015 – September 2018 Industry need: BioTalent Canada, in partnership with Employment & Social Development Canada (ESDC), conducted a national study of Canadian bio-economy companies from coast to coast in 2013 to assess the needs of the labour market. Results from this survey show that: 14.3% fewer companies hired persons with disabilities in 2013 compared…

Biotech Resume Builder (2013)

February 2013 – March 2013 – Create a biotech skills-based resumé builder for IEPs to quickly and identify their existing skills and format the information into a resumé which caters to the needs of the Canadian bio-economy.

Career Focus (2005-2016)

August 2012 to March 2016 Industry need: Every year, thousands of talented graduates emerge from post-secondary programs that are related directly to the bio-economy—in disciplines such as chemistry, biology, agriculture and human health. Too often, however, these new grads lack the practical skills and professional maturity to step straight into jobs with Canadian biotechnology companies. Supporting…

BioSkills Transfer (2008-2009)

December 2008 – December 2009 – To assist internationally educated medical laboratory professionals who are in the process or have not been successful in obtaining certification by the Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science (CSMLS) transfer their skills into the Canadian bio-economy workforce.

Career Focus Green Jobs (2016-2019)

April 2005 – March 2019 Industry need: Private sector companies regularly argue that it can be risky to take on new graduates with no previous work experience in the sector. This viewpoint is in line with research recently conducted by BioTalent Canada’s member organization – Life Sciences Ontario (LSO). LSO released a Sector Report in 2015…