Ed Morrison · BFD Learning Moment: Philadelphia Biotechnology and Life Sciences Institute

June 21st, 2008

The new Philadelphia Biotechnology and Life Sciences Institute is launching an initiative this summer to strengthen the talent pipeline in life sciences. More than 50 students from at least two Philadelphia high schools will be taught the basics of the life sciences, both through classroom instruction and through placement as interns in life-science jobs. Read more.

For a number of years, Boston University has run City Lab.

These issues touch on an important dimension of talent development: integrating career and technical education into high schools more effectively.

In this region, we have a successful model in engineering education with the Fenn Academy. Hopefully, these models can play a prominent role in the emerging talent strategies that the FFEF/Advance NEO is putting together for the region.

Last week during our I-Open workshop at the Lowe Foundation, I had a valuable discussion with a retired school superintendent who is moving to integrate regional education and workforce development resources in SE Missouri.

He pointed to the importance of exposing middle school students to different career pathways. many students, he told me, are unaware of the preparation they must complete in high school for these careers. Exposing high school students to career options is too late.

No state has tackled this issue of career pathways more aggressively than South Carolina. In 2005 they passed legislation to promote career pathways, beginning in middle school.

On the local level, I like what’s going on in Ft. Wayne. They are aggressively implementing career academies. Indiana is focused developing a stronger focus on this issue. There’s no one pathway. The point is to create more flexibility and choices. Among the options being explored in Indiana:

• Project Lead the Way (pre-engineering program; piloting biomedical in 2007)
• First Robotics (students work with industry sponsors to build robot to compete)
• Work Ethic Certificates
• Developing career awareness programs, like the National Association of Manufacturing’s “Dream-it, Do-it” initiative. The Lilly Foundation has just made a major commitment to SE Indiana.

You can learn more on the role of career technical education and high school reform here.

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