On Friday, May 3rd, the Canadian Alliance for Skills & Training in Life Sciences (CASTL) hosted its first-ever Industry Open House at its Charlottetown Biomanufacturing Training Facility at 35 Regis Duffy Drive. Welcoming attendees from over 15 local industry partners and organizations, this event aimed to provide local industry in PEI with an exclusive opportunity to explore CASTL’s Elevate and PEI Bioscience Reskilling programs. Attendees were given an overview of both programs, training outcomes, trainee profiles and were able to experience the facility’s state of the art pilot scale bioprocessing equipment first-hand on guided tours led by CASTL biomanufacturing trainers with recent Elevate graduates.
The Industry Open House, which was divided into two morning sessions, opened with a presentation highlighting CASTL’s training programs – including CASTL Elevate and the PEI Bioscience Reskilling Program – and providing an overview of their curriculums and training components. CASTL Elevate and Reskilling Program graduates volunteered at the event and were able to showcase their newly developed skills during interactive demonstrations as part of guided tours of the training facility. Attendees were able to learn about the large-scale equipment in the lab and ask questions during their tour. The event concluded with a networking session with CASTL staff.
CASTL’s Charlottetown Biomanufacturing Training Facility was the first Canadian facility of its kind, opening its doors in October of 2022. Since then, more than 200 trainees and industry professionals have attended onsite and virtual training programs in biopharmaceutical manufacturing focussed on aseptic processing, cGMP, and the associated biomanufacturing processes.
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CASTL’s first Industry Open House provided the opportunity for local organizations to not only connect and network with others in the industry, but to gain a first-hand look into the rapidly growing bioscience sector in Prince Edward Island. We are incredibly proud of the success we’ve had with our CASTL training programs to-date, and look forward to more opportunities like this one to help bring awareness to the value and importance of these programs. Penny Walsh-McGuire |
To view photos from the event click here.
The first CASTL Elevate cohort began in December 2023 and since then, more than a dozen Elevate graduates have gone on to obtain careers within the field. With an overall average program satisfaction rating of 4.8 out of 5, and 88% of program graduates “very likely” to recommend CASTL Elevate. The Elevate program, along with the PEI Bioscience Reskilling Program, continues to be instrumental in not only providing participants with the knowledge and training required for a role in biomanufacturing, but also with critical soft skills – including networking and interview skills – that help lead students to career growth and success both in and outside of the industry.
CASTL’s newest training facility opened in Montreal in November 2023, and the CASTL team looks forward to drawing from this event to organize a second Industry Open House in Montreal. CASTL’s third training facility, in Richmond, BC, located on the BCIT campus, is set to open later this year.
Want more information on our Elevate or Reskilling programs, or how to access our repertoire of graduates looking for hire? Contact us today at program@castlcanada.ca.
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