The Ontario Bioscience Innovation Organization (OBIO®), a not-for-profit organization dedicated to advancing health technology innovation and commercialization, and Talent, a workforce transformation company, are proud to announce their partnership to strengthen the talent pipeline of the Canadian biomanufacturing sector.
Biomanufacturing is a key area of Canada’s health sciences sector and the ongoing pandemic has accentuated the urgent need for increased manufacturing capacity for vaccines and innovative therapies to eradicate Covid-19. The demand for a biomanufacturing-ready workforce with the expertise and skills required to meet the needs of the sector continues to increase.
Within this partnership framework, OBIO and Talent will partner to address this growing demand by identifying key biomanufacturing roles and providing skills training and verification through a program of alternative credentials, such as skills-verified courses that are intended to fill the talent pipeline with personnel equipped with the high-demand and emerging skills required for Canadian companies to compete globally.
“The strategy developed between OBIO and [Talent] enables an adaptable response to the evolving workforce needs of the biomanufacturing sector in Canada. The partnership builds on OBIO’s deep industry understanding and track record of preparing professionals for the health science business…and [Talent’s] expertise in verifying skills and developing accredited programming, making them the ideal partner for us.”
Gail Garland, President & CEO, OBIO
“[Talent] is thrilled to tap into the deep industry expertise of the OBIO team as we develop a portfolio of training in biomanufacturing that ensure scaling companies can access the talent that they need. Our goal is to enable individuals to be able to rapidly and effectively develop sufficient competency in high demand skills so that they can be redeployed to address the growing number of vacancies in this sector”
Rachel Sumner, CEO, Talent
“We are excited that OBIO and [Talent] are working together to increase the pool of highly skilled talent in biomanufacturing. We need more qualified personnel in the Canadian health science industry and hiring the right talent continues to be a challenge for us as we expand our biomanufacturing capabilities. This new partnership will help us train the next generation of workers and grow our team faster to address our global scale-up”
Brent Stead, CEO, Specific Biologics
About Talent
Talent is a Canadian company on a mission to help people make actionable and meaningful workforce transformation decisions. Founded in 2020, Talent has evolved its offerings to focus on three lines of business: Skills Intelligence, Skills-Verified Courses, and Assessments. By 2026, Talent will be Canada’s leading skills intelligence organization, working with employers in regulated industries to transform their workforce.
About OBIO
OBIO®, founded in 2009, is a not-for-profit, membership-based innovation organization engaged in strategy, programming, policy development and advocacy to further the commercialization of human health technologies positioning Canada as a leader in the international marketplace. OBIO advances this goal through collaborative partnerships with industry, the investment community, academia, the health system and government.
For more information and/or if you are a biosciences organization that would like to get involved, contact:
Doriane Rey
Manager, Marketing and Events
Ontario Bioscience Innovation Organization