GCC is the Place for Biotechnology Education in the West Valley
Contacts:Suzanne Higgins suzanne.higgins@gcmail.maricopa.edu 623.845.3808
Patricia Vogel pr.vogel@gcmail.maricopa.edu 623.845.3014
GCC is the Place for Biotechnology Education in the West Valley
Anyone interested in getting in on the exploding field of biotechnology should be aware of classes available at Glendale Community College (GCC).
GCC now offers an Associate of Applied Science degree in Biotechnology (AAS, 65 credits). This degree provides the necessary laboratory training and an internship placement to give students the skills to enter the workforce rapidly. The program trains students for careers as lab technicians in such fields as hospital labs, pharmaceuticals, bio-manufacturing, forensics, agriculture and microbiology. Students obtain superior hands-on lab skills as well as critical thinking and trouble-shooting skills, allowing immediate entry into the workforce or the option to transfer to universities to pursue bachelor's degree programs.
With the sophisticated research being done at the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), the medical school now open in downtown Phoenix, and the growth of biotech companies like Sun Health Research Institute, Ribomed Biotechnologies, Molecular Profiling Institute and more, it is clear that Arizona is committed to building a strong biotech industry. These are exciting developments that can only be achieved if there is a trained and competent workforce to staff biotechnology labs. Industry analysts project that over the next 10 years, more than 32,000 employees will be needed in Arizona's biotech industry.
The good news is that you don't have to be a Ph.D. biochemist or researcher to be part of this movement and make a good salary.
To learn how to obtain marketable and cutting-edge skills in a relatively short time frame, visit www.gccaz.edu/biology/GCCbiotech for more information, or contact Biotech Program Director Dr. James Tuohy at james.tuohy@gcmail.maricopa.edu or 623.845.3845.
Visit careeronestop.org or careervoyages.gov for information on jobs and salaries for biotech technicians in Arizona.
