Eight years after fleeing civil war in her native Syria, Shatha Alnour has resurrected her career with renewed purpose. She credits the CASTL’s Elevate program -CASTL’s national 6-week training initiative aimed at advancing Canada’s biomanufacturing sector through comprehensive training and is powered by Upskill Canada -in helping her move into this new and promising direction.
In 2016, Shatha, her husband, and then six-year-old daughter were among more than 25,000 people who were welcomed into the country as part of Operation Syrian Refugees, Canada’s response to the Middle Eastern country’s humanitarian crisis. Shortly after settling in Quebec, where family friends had also settled, the transition to her new life—including the arrival of her second child—began in earnest.
“Canada’s immigration program has a very good reputation, and we chose to come here because of the opportunities that would be available to us,” says Shatha. “Even so, that initial period was difficult, but the support of our friends helped get us through it.”
Despite a new baby and the inevitable challenges of such a major life change, it didn’t take her long to start putting the pieces together to ensure success for her new life and career. Prior to coming to Canada, Shatha, who has an Agricultural Engineering degree in Food Sciences from the University of Damascus, worked as a nutrition and food laboratory specialist in the Syrian Ministry of Agriculture and food production industry for nearly a decade. Within three years of arriving in Canada, she had achieved a firm grasp on the French language, had acquired education equivalencies from the Quebec Ministry of Education, and was working as a quality control technician in the food industry.
“I enjoyed my work in the food sciences, but it was after witnessing the impact of COVID that I became interested in biosciences,” says Shatha.
While investigating the field, Shatha learned about CASTL and the Elevate program through a contact on LinkedIn.
“I was immediately interested in the program, and the fact that it was supported by the government suggested that there was a demand for new workers in the sector,” she says.
Shatha was accepted into the program’s second cohort of learners—and the first to attend CASTL’s Montreal training facility—in December 2023.
“The program was a good fit for me,” Shatha says. “I was able to carry out the online learning in between my work schedule and family life. And with my education and work background, I was pretty comfortable with the curriculum.”
While Shatha was familiar with many of the concepts presented in the training, she was still learning lots of new information to support her new career objectives. The practical training at CASTL’s Biomanufacturing Training Facility in Montreal—a pilot-scale bioprocessing facility that replicates manufacturing methods used to produce vaccinations, viral vectors, monoclonal antibodies, and other cGMP biopharmaceutical products—was invaluable, giving her the opportunity to get familiar with the processes and workflows involved in biomanufacturing. Outside the technical curriculum, the instruction and coaching she received on essential skills, such as restructuring her resume, helped ensure she was able to present her skills and experience to employers in a way that aligned to conventional practices in the province. She also appreciated the variety of experiences among her fellow learners.
“My cohort included people from all over Canada with many different education, career, and life backgrounds,” she continues. “It was comforting to know that I wasn’t alone in re-working my career. As we moved through the program, it became a lot like a family.”
By March 2024, Shatha had completed the training and launched her new career, accepting an entry-level position as a Specimen Management Associate 2 with IQVIA, a multinational company that applies data, technology, advanced analytics to advance human health. In this role she is responsible for ensuring the traceability and accountability of all samples collected, received, and/or shipped from IQVIA’s Laval facility. And as luck would have it, her husband is also employed with the company, working in equipment validation.
“It’s been a good introduction to my new career path,” says Shatha. “The company is very supportive and as I build my skills and experience, I eventually hope to move into an analytical role.”
Given Shatha’s success with the Elevate program, she has a pay-it-forward mentality and is eager to recommend the program to others who are looking for new opportunities in the biosciences.
“People are often astonished by my successful transition from the food sciences to biotechnology and biomanufacturing,” she says. “So I tell them about my experience with CASTL Elevate and encourage them to apply to the program to fulfill their own career goals.”
She emphasizes that Elevate is a complete program that provides continuous learning from various perspectives.
“With my new job, it became clear that Elevate’s technical curriculum is very much on par with what’s required in working laboratory environments. Other aspects, like guest lectures from industry representatives, help you understand the various opportunities in the sector and what employers are looking for. And through everything, CASTL’s instructors are really supportive and encouraging, sharing their own experiences and practical insights. It was really good experience for me.”
Despite the exceptional challenges Shatha faced in recent years, her resolve and perseverance serve as an inspiration to others who must overcome the odds to achieve a purposeful life.
“I always had the motivation to get my career back on track, but CASTL gave me the leg up I needed to achieve that goal. I’m really proud that I successfully pursued the opportunity.”
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This article is part of a series that celebrates some of the many success stories that have emerged from Elevate, CASTL’s national biomanufacturing training program. Designed for young workers, new Canadians, and others seeking out career opportunities in Canada’s biosciences sector, Elevate teaches the technical skills needed to fill entry-level positions in this fast-growing industry.
Applications to the Elevate program are open, apply here to take part in one of our upcoming cohorts.
The program is made possible through funding from Upskill Canada, powered by Palette Skills, and the Government of Canada.
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