Charlottetown, PE – The Canadian Alliance for Skills and Training in Life Sciences (CASTL) will proceed with establishing its first biopharmaceutical manufacturing training facility in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. Thanks to a contribution of $2,335,000 from the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and $800,000 from the Province of Prince Edward Island, CASTL will purchase and install pilot-scale bioprocessing equipment and complete related fit up for the CASTL training facility.
“CASTL is ready to deliver on the economic demand for individuals who are work-ready to meet the skills and talent needs for the local bioeconomy and Canada’s fast-growing biomanufacturing sector,” said Penny Walsh-McGuire, Executive Director, CASTL. “With this support to equip our first physical training centre, CASTL will be ready to provide individuals with industry-simulated hands-on training experiences helping them to develop and grow in their careers.”
A national initiative of the Prince Edward Island BioAlliance and headquartered in Charlottetown, CASTL is a unique first-in-class national skills and training program delivered through partnership with industry and academic institutions. CASTL is the exclusive provider of the National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training (NIBRT) licensed training programs in Canada. Based in Ireland, NIBRT develops and delivers state-of-the-art training and education programs for the world’s leading biopharmaceutical manufacturing companies. CASTL will deliver this theoretical and practical hands-on training curriculum to a broad range of learners from new post-secondary students to experienced industry professionals.
Representatives from CASTL and the Prince Edward BioAlliance were joined by the Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister responsible for ACOA, and the Honorable Matthew MacKay, Minister of Economic Growth, Tourism and Culture for Prince Edward Island, to announce support to establish the new training facility.
“The success story of Prince Edward Island’s bioscience cluster is recognized across Canada and internationally. Strategic investments like those announced today will ensure a continued path of growth for the industry by attracting industry-leading companies and building a highly skilled workforce”, said the Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Official Languages and Minister responsible for ACOA.
“Government recognizes the significant contributions our bioscience sector makes to our provincial economy, and that by investing in this sector today, we’re preparing for a stronger tomorrow. These investments create more training opportunities and jobs for Islanders that strengthen our workforce and grow the bioscience sector in Prince Edward Island,” said the Honourable Matthew MacKay, Minister of Economic Growth, Tourism and Culture for the Government of Prince Edward Island.
The CASTL Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing Training Facility is located in the new Bioscience Manufacturing Incubator in Charlottetown and will host technical training beginning September 2022.
For more information on the CASTL training programs, visit www.castlcanada.ca or email info@castlcanada.ca
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About CASTL
The Canadian Alliance for Skills and Training in Life Sciences (CASTL) is a first-of-its-kind partnership between academia, industry, and government to address the future skills needs of the Canadian life sciences sector. Specializing in biopharmaceutical manufacturing, CASTL delivers on the economic and sectoral demand for individuals who are work-ready to enter, thrive and meet the needs of the fast-growing Canadian biomanufacturing industry. CASTL is the exclusive provider of the National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training (NIBRT) licensed training programs in Canada. Based in Ireland, NIBRT develops and delivers state-of-the-art training and education programs for the world’s leading biopharmaceutical manufacturing companies and partner academic institutions. CASTL is supported by National Lead Partner adMare Academy. The adMare Academy is dedicated to providing the specialized training required to foster the next generation of highly qualified personnel who will drive the growth of Canadian life science companies.
