Charlottetown, PEI – December 2, 2024. The Canadian Alliance for Skills and Training in Life Sciences (CASTL) is pleased to announce the successful design and delivery of its customized training program for BIOVECTRA’s biomanufacturing operations specializing in mRNA/pDNA therapeutics. Over the past year, the program has proven to be an essential and time-saving component to BIOVECTRA’s employee training as part of standing up this new facility in Charlottetown, PEI.
Customized Training Program
Recognizing the unique challenges involved in vaccine manufacturing, CASTL developed a specialized curriculum aligned with BIOVECTRA's operational needs, as well as with its Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). The training program focused on the intricacies of pDNA and mRNA production, ensuring that all content is relevant and immediately applicable to BIOVECTRA’s work.
"At CASTL, we take great pride in partnering with forward-thinking companies like BIOVECTRA to create tailored training solutions that yield impactful results," said CASTL CEO Penny Walsh-McGuire. “By aligning our curriculum with BIOVECTRA's unique needs, we’ve been able to significantly reduce their onboarding time and boost their productivity. This collaboration showcases our commitment to empowering industries with the skilled workforce they need to thrive and lead, ultimately driving growth and innovation in Canada’s life sciences sector.
Collaborative Development and Flexible Delivery
The customized program was co-created by CASTL and BIOVECTRA management to ensure that the curriculum met specific training requirements. By delivering modular training sessions, CASTL facilitated learning without disrupting the company’s daily operations. This approach allowed for effective knowledge transfer tailored to the schedules of BIOVECTRA’s employees, with small group sessions ensuring individualized attention.
Hands-On Learning in a Safe Environment
CASTL conducted the training in its state-of-the-art, GMP-simulated biomanufacturing facility in Charlottetown, conveniently located near BIOVECTRA’s operations. This environment provided BIOVECTRA employees with the opportunity to practice new skills risk free, in a setting that closely mirrors their actual work conditions. The use of pilot-scale, state-of-the-art equipment, along with the integration of BIOVECTRA’s manufacturing floor blueprints, enabled participants to train effectively even while its facility was still under construction.
High Satisfaction and Effectiveness Ratings
Feedback from program participants has been overwhelmingly positive, with 100% satisfaction ratings for both training content and instruction quality. This remarkable response highlights the CASTL program's effectiveness in equipping employees with the skills they need. Participants enjoyed focused learning sessions that eliminated workplace distractions, allowing increased engagement with instructors and hands-on use of equipment.
“CASTL’s customized training program has been a great benefit to BIOVECTRA, cutting onboarding time and boosting our team’s ability to meet the intricate demands of vaccine production,” said Bryan Lowery, Vice President and General Manager, mRNA Vaccine and pDNA Operations at BIOVECTRA. “This investment in our biomanufacturing talent helps ensure that we are prepared to meet the demands of a cGMP facility.”
Enhanced Operational Efficiency
CASTL’s innovative approach not only accelerated the transition to new processes but also significantly boosted overall productivity, positioning BIOVECTRA for continued success in a critical industry.
“Supporting BIOVECTRA in their transition to pDNA and mRNA vaccine manufacturing has been an exciting and rewarding experience for our team," stated Sven Ansorge, CASTL's Director of Technical Training. "We tailored every aspect of this program to equip BIOVECTRA’s employees with the precise skills and knowledge required for their new operations. By immersing participants in hands-on, GMP-simulated training, we ensured they were ready to meet the complex demands of this advanced manufacturing process from day one."
To learn more about CASTL’s customized training programs and to explore partnership opportunities, please visit the CASTL website or contact info@castlcanada.ca
This initiative was part of the CASTL-led Knowledge and Insights for Future Proofing Biomanufacturing Training project funded by the Government of Canada through the Future Skills program.
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About BIOVECTRA
BIOVECTRA is part of Agilent, a leader in clinical and analytical lab technologies and specialized CDMO services. With operations in Atlantic Canada BIOVECTRA specializes in clinical-to-commercial scale production capabilities for biologics, synthetic small molecules, highly potent APIs, and bioreagents. Its expertise has expanded into pDNA and mRNA vaccine manufacturing. Currently it employs close to 700 people across a variety of roles in science, quality, manufacturing and production, and business administration.
About CASTL
CASTL delivers specialized training in biopharmaceutical manufacturing to post-secondary students and industry employees through a combination of online, virtual, and hands-on training. With state-of-the-art training facilities in Charlottetown, Montreal, and Vancouver, CASTL provides industry-informed technical skills development for Canada’s growing biomanufacturing sector. It is the exclusive provider of the National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training (NIBRT) licensed training programs in Canada.
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