Editor’s note: Each Wednesday, WRAL TechWire features a story highlighting the NC Bio Jobs Hub initiative. Go to the Bio Jobs Hub for more stories and info on life sciences job opportunities made possible by NC’s workforce training initiatives.
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RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK – When Fay-Ann Johnston and her family relocated to North Carolina from New York, she began a career in childcare. She thought she had found her lifelong calling. However, as her children grew up and her career progressed, she decided she needed a change.
“I didn’t see myself doing anything else but childcare, but as my children got older, I realized I needed a career change,” said Johnston.
Around this time, one of Johnston’s co-workers was also seeking a career change and discovered the BioWork certificate program, a 136-hour course that prepares students for jobs in biomanufacturing.
Fay-Ann Johnston (Photo via N.C. Biotech Center)
“Although I had no past experience working in pharmaceuticals or manufacturing, I had high hopes that if I took the BioWork program, I could get hired in the field,” she explained.
Luckily, nearby Johnston Community College (JCC) offered the program, allowing her to keep her daytime job and complete the certificate program in the evening.
Johnston credits her instructors for preparing her for a position in biomanufacturing.
“My instructor, Jack Lane, was excellent,” she said. “He went into great depth about potential situations in the field that he thought we could face to help prevent mistakes.”
It was at JCC that she also learned how to write a biomanufacturing-centered resume and practice her interviewing and job search skills, which she used during virtual career fairs.
Instructors supported Johnston throughout her studies and job search.
“By the time I was finishing my program, Novo Nordisk was hiring, so I quickly applied, interviewed and ultimately accepted a position as a quality control technician.”
If you think you might also be interested in earning a BioWork certificate, learn more here.
(C) N.C. Biotech Center
NC Biotech Center launches Bio Jobs Hub to match biopharma manufacturers, workers
