ERIC Number: EJ1189678
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2018-Sep
Pages: 8
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-1931-7913
EISSN: N/A
Improving Undergraduate Life Science Education for the Biosciences Workforce: Overcoming the Disconnect between Educators and Industry
Thompson, Christopher; Sanchez, Joseph; Smith, Michael; Costello, Judy; Madabushi, Amrita; Schuh-Nuhfer, Natasha; Miranda, Rommel; Gaines, Brian; Kennedy, Kathleen; Tangrea, Michael; Rivers, David
CBE - Life Sciences Education, v17 n3 Essay 12 Sep 2018
The BioHealth Capital Region (Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC; BHCR) is flush with colleges and universities training students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines and has one of the most highly educated workforces in the United States. However, current educational approaches and business recruitment tactics are not drawing sufficient talent to sustain the bioscience workforce pipeline. Surveys conducted by the Mid-Atlantic Biology Research and Career Network identified a disconnect between stakeholders who are key to educating, training, and hiring college and university graduates, resulting in several impediments to workforce development in the BHCR: (1) students are underinformed or unaware of bioscience opportunities before entering college and remain so at graduation; (2) students are not job ready at the time of graduation; (3) students are mentored to pursue education beyond what is needed and are therefore overqualified (by degree) for most of the available jobs in the region; (4) undergraduate programs generally lack any focus on workforce development; and (5) few industry-academic partnerships with undergraduate institutions exist in the region. The reality is that these issues are neither surprising nor restricted to the BHCR. Recommendations are presented to facilitate improvement in the preparation of graduates for today's bioscience industries throughout the United States.
Descriptors: Educational Improvement, Undergraduate Students, Science Education, Biological Sciences, School Business Relationship, Industry, Education Work Relationship, Labor Force Development, Barriers, Knowledge Level, Science Careers, Career Readiness, Employment Qualifications, Employment Potential, Partnerships in Education, Science Curriculum, Educational Trends
American Society for Cell Biology. 8120 Woodmont Avenue Suite 750, Bethesda, MD 20814-2762. Tel: 301-347-9300; Fax: 301-347-9310; e-mail: ascbinfo@ascb.org; Website: http://www.ascb.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Science Foundation (NSF)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Maryland; Virginia; District of Columbia
Grant or Contract Numbers: 1624143