The Elevate Experience: Plan B Follows the Path to a Rewarding Career

In life, things rarely go according to plan. That’s something that Nayana Vayalil knows firsthand. 

When she arrived in Canada as an international student in 2022, Nayana was on track to pursue a career in teaching. As a former assistant professor of botany at TKM College of Arts and Science in Kerala, India, she was passionate about fostering her students’ curiosity about the intricacies of the natural world. But as she approached the final year of her Master of Education studies at the University of Prince Edward Island, it became increasing clear that finding a full-time teaching post would be unlikely. That’s when she began working on Plan B.

Luckily, in addition to teaching, Nayana had a strong background in the sciences. In her native India, she had completed a Bachelor of Applied Science in biotechnology followed by a Master of Science in botany. During her final year at UPEI, she started looking for new pathways to career opportunities that aligned with her experience and interests.

“I discovered CASTL and the Elevate program at a job fair organized by the local newcomers’ association,” says Nayana. “It was a good fit, and during my last semester of university, I also enrolled in the Elevate program.”

While balancing both her university and Elevate studies presented challenges, Nayana did not regret her decision. 

“The program served as both a refresher on my previous knowledge, as well as an introduction to new concepts, equipment, and practices for working in an industrial-scale laboratory,” she says. “Within a few months of completing the program, I had not only graduated with my master’s degree but was employed as a full-time production technician with Merck—a global biopharmaceutical company—here on PEI.”

Apart from providing essential technical training, Nayana credits Elevate’s job readiness curriculum with helping her get her foot in the door.

“Following a presentation from a bioscience HR representative who came to speak to our group, I had the opportunity to discuss the selection process for job candidates,” says Nayana. “I was very surprised to learn that applications are initially sorted by a computer software program. It emphasized the importance of having a strong résumé that is tailored to the job you’re applying for—something that the CASTL instructors really helped me with.”

Until that point, Nayana had sent out countless résumés for various jobs, never getting a response or an interview. However, once she adopted what she had learned in the Elevate program, that all changed.

“I started getting multiple interview call-backs,” she says. “It was a real eye opener. Suddenly, things were going in the right direction. And because of those earlier conversations during the program, I had much more confidence in what they were looking for during an interview.” 

Now a few months into to her job at Merck, where she works on the downstream processing side of vaccine production for the salmon aquaculture industry, Nayana says she’s not alone in her assessment: a number of her colleagues also completed training with CASTL, and all agree that the program was a key factor in helping them get their jobs.

“The program really gives you an edge with employers in terms of theoretical and technical skills, as well as practical advice for successful job searching,” she says. “If not for CASTL, I might still be wandering here and there to find a job.”

Nayana is finding her new career path rewarding and sees much opportunity ahead.

“It’s a team environment that acknowledges your good work and has a real family atmosphere. And as you become more adept, they provide more training and promote you into new, more advanced roles.”

For Nayana, Plan B couldn’t have worked out better. 

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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.