Texas Skill Standards Board

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TSSB Recognizes Biotechnology Program at Temple College

October, 2009 - The Texas Skill Standards Board (TSSB) granted Program Recognition under its replication policy to the Biotechnology Associate of Applied Science (AAS) Degree at Temple College. Temple College adopted the common technical core curriculum, integrated with the Biotechnology and Biomedical Skill Standards for Research, Development, and Manufacturing, agreed to by three other TSSB-recognized biotechnology programs.

The skill standards enhanced program, which was endorsed by the college’s industry advisory committee, will benefit both employers and graduates. Graduates will gain the work competencies—skills and knowledge—that employers have agreed are required for success in biotechnology laboratory technician positions. Employers in turn will gain a more qualified workforce. The common, skill standards based biotechnology curriculum, which includes agreement on the courses in which the competencies will be assessed, provides employers with the added confidence that regardless of the college they recruit from—whether in Austin, Plano, The Woodlands or Temple—program graduates will be prepared with the same skill and knowledge requirements.

The Biotechnology and Biomedical Skill Standards for Research, Development, and Manufacturing (Biotechnology/Biomedical Skill Standards) define the knowledge and skills that are required for entry-level biotechnology/biomedical workers in the research, development, and manufacturing sector, including job titles such as: laboratory assistant, research associate/assistant, manufacturing technician, production planner instrument/calibration technician, assay analyst, and process development associate. The standards were developed by the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges and the Washington Biotechnology and Biomedical Association, and facilitated by Shoreline Community College in the state of Washington.

The Texas Healthcare and Bioscience Institute (THBI), which promotes health care and bioscience research, development, and manufacturing in Texas, requested that the TSSB recognize the standards, given their relevancy to Texas industry. The THBI president indicated that the standards provided an effective manner in which to communicate the needs of biotechnology and biomedical companies in Texas to educational providers. THBI member companies such as BioNumerik Pharmaceuticals; Introgen Therapeutics, Inc;, and Lexicon Genetics, Inc. reviewed the standards and recommended them for TSSB recognition.

The Biotechnology/Biomedical Skill Standards were developed by a multi-employer focus group of front-line workers representing all aspects of the biotechnology/biomedical industry in Washington state, as well as diversity in size and company specialty area. The standards were then validated across the industry with biotechnology/biomedical professionals. Companies that contributed to the skill standards include Immunex (Amgen Inc.), ZymoGenetics, Cell Therapeutics, MDS Panlabs, and Targeted Genetics, Inc. The skill standards are available for viewing on the TSSB website at www.tssb.org.

Katie Burrows, Chair of the Biotechnology Department at Temple College, led the faculty in integrating the skill standards into the program. For its efforts, the college received a $1,500 Skill Standards-Based Curriculum Development Incentive Project award. The incentive awards, which are granted upon completion of deliverables, including integrating skill standards into curriculum and receiving TSSB Program Recognition, were administered by Del Mar College out of Perkins State Leadership funds from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Ms. Burrows followed the TSSB’s recommended six-step process in the guidance document, A User’s Guide: Incorporating Skill Standards into Community and Technical College Curriculum, which is available to download from this website. She also took advantage of technical assistance on the program recognition process, provided by TSSB staff on-site at the college.

Examples of the application materials submitted by Ms. Burrows for TSSB Program Recognition are available in the Community and Technical Colleges and Employers and Industry Groups sections of this website under the TSSB-Recognized Programs link.

For more information, please contact Anne Dorsey at TSSB at (512) 936-8100.