Biomanufacturing Fundamentals

A Hands-On Approach

EVENING CERTIFICATE PROGRAM

Next Offering Fall 2013

WPI's Corporate and Professional Education, in collaboration with key representatives from Shire, AbbVie, Bristol Myers Squibb and Genzyme (A Sanofi Company), has developed and designed a customized program to provide you with the skills and knowledge required to secure employment and career success in the biomanufacturing industry in Massachusetts.

The curriculum focuses on skill training — set in an environment that simulates the controlled activities critical for success in biomanufacturing. This eight-week evening program, held at WPI's Bioprocessing Center at Gateway Park developed by Dr. Alexander Di Iorio, is taught by industry professionals from the collaborating organizations.

Program Includes:

• Performing activities in compliance with the cGMP's (Current Good Manufacturing Practices) that are mandated by the FDA (Food & Drug Administration)
• A tour of AbbVie in Worcester
• Operation of critical equipment and instruments such as bioreactors, purification columns, harvesting equipment (centrifuges, depth filters, etc.) biosafety cabinets and analytical instruments
• Following Standard Operating Procedures (SOP's) for these operations
• Completing production batch records
• Filling out equipment checklists and logs
• Demonstrating conduct in compliance with FDA regulations and expectations

Special Feature

Attendees actively participate in a full biomanufacturing process that includes the following unit operations:

Once the hands-on processing section of the course begins, participants will be divided into small groups. These groups will rotate through the appropriate unit operations, each led by an instructor who is a subject matter expert from industry. The unique design of this certificate program features not only learning the technical and scientific principles of each unit operation, but also performing each operation under simulated cGMP conditions.

This program has been designed to allow the participants to network with the instructors, who are subject matter experts. Some of these instructors are also hiring managers from biomanufacturing organizations who need to employ trained and skilled individuals to enhance their workforces. Students have the opportunity to enhance their network in the biomanufacturing field, and will be provided with contact information for hiring managers at over 10 biomanufacturing sites in New England.

Potential Hiring Organizations

Program Details

The registration fee is $5,000 per person. This fee includes program and lab instruction, light refreshments and program materials. Payment is due with registration (see details below under Registration and Payment).

State Funding may be available to pay for this program. Contact your local Career Center for information about how to qualify. To locate a Career Center near you go to www.servicelocator.org.

Prerequisite: Participants must be able to read and write English and have basic math skills. 

CEUs
9.2 CEUs (Continuing Education Units) awarded for program completion.

Schedule

• DATES: Fall 2013 
• DAYS: Monday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings
• TIME: 5:00 - 9:00 p.m.
• LOCATION: New Biomanufacturing Education & Training Center, WPI Gateway Park, 50 Prescott Street, Worcester, MA

Who Should Attend

Ideal candidates include displaced workers, career changers, those re-entering the workforce and those needing to transition current skills into a new field. Attendance is limited to 20 participants.

For More Information

To learn more about this program, contact Cindy Philbrick, Business Development Manager at +1-508-831-5651 or email cindyp@wpi.edu. 

Registration and Payment  

Payment options include:

• Credit card – call 508-831-5517 (select PO for payment option when registering, then write in comments section that you will call with credit card info)
• Personal / bank check – send check, made out to WPI, to WPI Corporate and Professional Education, 100 Institute Road, Worcester, MA 01609 (select PO for payment option when registering, then write in comments section that you will be mailing a check)
• Grant funding – if unemployed, contact your closest unemployment office to inquire about funding availability and qualifications