Bio-1's goal is to make Central New Jersey (CNJ) the next “hot spot” for the global bioscience industry, by creating high-quality, high-paying jobs and a skilled workforce. The five-county BIO-1 partnership is named for the Route 1 corridor from Rutgers to Princeton, around which most of CNJ's biotech firms are clustered. The CNJ region, comprising Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, and Somerset counties, has received $5 million, available under the Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development (WIRED) program from the United States Department of Labor (USDOL). The WIRED grant will be used to transform the rich array of existing bioscience education and training and economic development initiatives into a world class bioscience talent development system.
The partnership has its roots in an initiative created by Governor Jon Corzine as part of his statewide economic strategy. This is the third WIRED investment in New Jersey, making it “the most WIRED state” in the U.S.[1]
In collaboration with representatives of all key players in the biosciences in CNJ, the Bio-1 initiative will focus on six key strategies:
Excite young people about the bio-sciences, especially focusing on underrepresented groups.
Create a consortium of biotechnology educators from the high school through university levels that will facilitate smooth career pathways through articulation agreements, mentoring and professional development.
Transform graduate education with the development of professional science master's degrees that integrate business and science, and interdisciplinary Ph.D. programs in biotech areas.
Increase bioscience workforce development with education and training opportunities. A “flak jackets to lab coats” initiative, for example, will focus on training and job placement in the bioscience industry for returning veterans.
Enhance linkages between education and industry through internships, cooperative education and mentoring.
Facilitate globally competitive “biobusinesses” by encouraging collaboration between business and education, supporting bioscience start-ups and leveraging existing global networks.[2]
