Education/training
Loyalist leads the way in biosciencesCanada is a global leader in biotechnology, and Loyalist College is ensuring its graduates are well prepared to enjoy the burgeoning employment opportunities. SHARON ASCHAIEK |
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 [ 2006-05-31 ] |
The school's cluster of comprehensive and innovative bioscience programs arms students with extensive theoretical knowledge, practical experience and a network of contacts in their field.
Upon graduation, they'll be prepared to join a robust sector that experienced $3.6 billion in revenues in 2001 -- an increase of 339% since 1997.
"The bioscience group at Loyalist College has worked diligently to provide curricula that meet the changing face of the technology workforce," says Eric Bauer, a microbiologist and teacher in the program.
The college's school of applied science offers four core bioscience programs: Biotechnology Technician/Technology, Bio-Food Technician/Technology, Environmental Technician/ Technology and Chemical Engineering Technician/ Technology.
In each program, students may pursue either a two-year technician diploma or a three-year technologist advanced diploma. They may also take advantage of overlapping areas of study among the programs by pursuing a double diploma.
Developed in conjunction with members of industry, the programs immerse students in up-to-date knowledge and train them in the wide range of skills they'll need in the work world.
The Biotechnology Technician/Technology program, for example, educates students about how the processes of living organisms can be applied to areas such as gene therapy, individually tailored medicines, environmental decontamination and genetic engineering of crops and livestock. Students put this knowledge to use in sophisticated labs using high-end equipment such as PCR and DNA sequencers.
The Chemical Engineering Technician/Technology program, meanwhile, features a specialized curriculum in chromatography, spectroscopy, radiochemistry, food chemistry and manufacturing practices. Working in a state-of-the-art chemical instrumentation lab and engaging in both teamwork and independent research, students develop practical skills in areas such as computer applications, health and safety and microbiology.
The only program in Ontario in the growing field of nutraceuticals and functional foods, the Bio-Food Technician/Technology program covers the biochemical properties of plants, and the ways to use them to improve nutrition and health.
Working in a supercritical CO2 extraction lab, a cutting-edge facility unique to Loyalist, students isolate and extract biological materials without the use of toxic solvents.
"EXCELLENT LABS, FACILITIES"
Finally, in the Environmental Technician/Technology program, students sample and analyse environ- mental contaminants, and learn about the underlying social systems that contribute to soil, air and water pollution.
"Loyalist College has excellent laboratory and field study facilities. The programs are contemporary and the staff is highly qualified," Bauer says. "The teacher-to-learner ratio is excellent, especially so in the laboratory and field components where individualized instruction and feedback are vital."
It's an assessment with which Lisa Prior, a graduate of the Chemical Engineering Technology program, wholeheartedly agrees. In 1989, after her original plan to work in hospitality management proved less lucrative than she'd anticipated, Prior, a high school chemistry buff, began investigating Loyalist's offerings and decided to give chemical engineering a shot.
What she discovered was an intensely practical curriculum and knowledgeable, helpful teachers who brought the course content to life.
"The program was amazingly hands-on. We learned a concept and then applied it in the lab in the same semester. We took equipment apart and put it back together again, just so that we could understand how it worked," she says. "The teachers I had were fantastic. They made learning fun. When something went wrong, as it often does in the lab, they were right there to help you work through it."
WORK PLACEMENTS
Like all bioscience students, Prior participated in work placements, including one in the pet food division at Quaker Oats, where she extracted vitamins from soft dog food. She graduated from the program with excellent troubleshooting, analytical, organizational and computer skills, and had little difficulty finding good work in her field.
Today, she's a lab manager at the Royal Military College of Canada (RMC), where her day-to-day responsibilities include overseeing staffing, recruiting volunteers, shipping and receiving equipment, analysing lab samples and managing financial accounts. She has led cutting-edge projects such as testing chemical protection gear and gas masks for military personnel, which involved travelling to several military bases in Canada.
"It is nice to know that what we do plays a role in protecting the safety of the troops," Prior says.
Prior is one of about 12,000 employees driving the phenomenal growth of Canada's biotechnology industry. According to Statistics Canada's 2001 Biotechnology Use and Development Survey, biotech generated $746 million in exports that year, experienced $1.3 billion in research and development spending and enjoyed $513 million in government investment from 2001 to 2002.
Canada's approximately 375 biotech companies -- the largest per capita number in the world -- are especially making an impact in areas such as human health, agriculture, food processing and the environment. In the area of human health alone, biotech has generated hundreds of useful products related to the treatment of cancer, central nervous system disorders, infectious diseases and cardiovascular disease.
All of this activity has contributed to an approximately 7% annual growth rate in biotech employment, and Loyalist grads are among the most prepared to launch fruitful careers.
Ron Carter is very familiar with the high calibre of the school's bioscience grads: he's hired about a dozen of them since 1990 to work at his environmental engineering company.
"I have a group of excellent graduates now, and they're really committed to the environmental field," says Carter, president of Belleville, Ont.-based Quinte Eco Consultants, which performs environmental site assessments for industrial and municipal clients.
Carter serves on the college's bioscience advisory board, along with other industry professionals, including chemical engineers, plant managers, food industry executives and representatives from companies such as PepsiCo and Alcan Inc.
"I've been involved on the board for a number of years, and the programs are constantly being fine-tuned to meet the demands of industry," he says.
One recent graduate who's benefited from the up-to-date status of the bioscience programs is Terry Teertstra, who completed a double diploma in Biotechnology and Bio-Food Technology this past spring. Her job search had barely begun before she was offered a position with the Department of National Defence in Kingston, Ont., in research and development.
"The Loyalist courses were very in-depth ... The teachers and staff are really amazing and their level of knowledge is extraordinary," Teertstra says. "Combine that with the amount of diverse equipment and instruments, and I truly believe that you come away with more experience than you would elsewhere. The program and professors more than adequately prepare you to find work in the field."
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