The BioCareers program helps students be better prepared for biotech jobs and graduate studies. We created it to address a growing gap between what recent graduates have learned from their studies and what is identified as essential for successful post-graduate careers by their potential future employers and academic supervisors. The list of skills that recent graduates lack is long and includes, for example, effective research techniques, teamwork and leadership skills, as well as specific technical skills, such as scientific report writing and good laboratory practice.
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We created the BioCareers program to offer high-quality learning to students at a low cost. The BioCareers program is affordable because it is organized and delivered by student volunteers who are passionate about teaching and helping others.
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Most students can't afford professional development courses offered by private for-profit companies. Moreover, BioGroupe Canada is a non-profit organization. We make no money from the BioCareers program and keep the cost low by relying on volunteers being willing to organize and facilitate the workshop in return for a small honorarium. In fact, any student who completes the program has the option of organizing and facilitating their own workshop series.
The BioCareers Workshops enhance job readiness and research preparedness by helping students to acquire essential and technical skills and abilities that are in high demand among employers and research supervisors but difficult to develop in conventional academic programs. These skills and abilities are introduced in a series of professionally developed, self-paced online courses, reinforced, and further developed through fun and engaging group-based learning activities.
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Complete the Workshops and receive a certificate that makes you stand out from the crowd. The BioCareers Certificate of Completion documents the skills and abilities acquired by the courses of a nationally recognized training program. The courses cost nearly $800 but are free for post-secondary students participating in the BioCareers Workshops. We must keep this a secret because we are not allowed to name the program or the government-funded economic development organization that developed it. Still, we can encourage prospective students to do an independent investigation by providing a link to the organization's website, their Essential Skills and Technical Skills course pitch videos and their Skills Recognition program.
Workshop Details
We offer six 90-minute workshops where you work in groups of 6-10 to complete fun and engaging activities with support from a group facilitator. Each reinforces and elaborates on skills introduced in the ​ Essential Skills and Technical Skills courses. The courses are complementary, and you don't need to complete them to participate. However, we make them available for free because they enhance your learning and add value to the Certificate of Completion. The workshops are:
Managing research and literature reviews
The Managing Research and Literature Reviews workshop introduces the program and covers methods and tools to conduct and organize research efficiently. It covers database use, reference management, organizing research notes and strategies to manage and complete literature reviews.
Communication and Collaboration
The Communication and Collaboration Skills workshop introduces concepts and approaches that students can use to improve their communication and collaboration skills. Topics covered include • Communication and collaboration essentials, • Techniques to identify strengths and areas for improvement, • Strategies to strengthen communication and collaboration skills
Quality assurance and quality control methods
The workshop introduces scientific reporting methods and approaches students can use to ensure quality and reproducibility. Topics include: • Producing scientific reporting reproducibility and accountability • Introduction to Quality Assurance (QC) and Quality Control (QC) • Standard operation procedures (SOPs) for QA/QC • QA/QC management systems • Health and safety practices
Foundational BIOSTEM Skills
The Foundational Skills for BIOSTEM Careers workshop covers skills essential for bioeconomy jobs and research-based graduate programs, including techniques that improve scientific reading and writing, numeracy and document use. It introduces the following topics: • Reading Skills: Keywords and phrases identification, skimming and scanning techniques, question analysis, • Writing Skills: Writing preparation, plain writing, structuring and formatting texts, • Numeracy Skills: Measurements, number conversions, laboratory budgeting, concentration and dilution calculations. • Document Use Skills: Lists and tables, entry forms, charts and graphs, flowcharts
Efficient Problem-solving Strategies
This workshop covers concepts and approaches that students can use to improve their ability to identify and address problems and challenges. Topics include: • Essential problem-solving skills and why they are important • Identifying strengths and areas for improvement • Strategies to strengthen problem-solving skills.
Effective Management and Work Practices
This workshop introduces best practices approaches, including Standard Operating Procedures, Good Laboratory Practice (GLP), Good Clinical Practice (GCP) and Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP). Topics covered include: • Documentating laboratory experiments • Lab equipment and material usage • Introduction to clinical practice and research • Documenting clinical work • Quality control requirements in manufacturing • Conducting investigations • Health and safety