Texas A&M’s National Center for Therapeutic Manufacturing is shifting gears to introduce the biopharmaceutical industry to a whole new group of students — military veterans.
A new program called Military Veterans Manufacturing Vaccines, MVMV, will provide training for veterans to be manufacturing technicians for Texas’ growing biopharmaceutical industry. The program aims to provide veterans with a comprehensive education and get their foot in the door of the manufacturing industry.
Jenny Ligon, assistant director of NCTM, said military veterans match well with Texas’ pharmaceutical industry.
“The pharmaceutical development and manufacturing industry is a highly regulated, precisely structured, process driven industry,” Ligon said. “Military veterans make the perfect target workforce for this industry, as they are accustomed to such environments and possess desirable traits such as self-direction and goal-orientation.”
Through the MVMV program, veterans will take part in the Biomanufacturing Technical Certification. This path consists of a four-week blended learning program consisting of both online curricula and hands-on lab work. Graduates of the program will receive necessary certification required to obtain jobs within the biopharmaceutical industry.
According to a press release, the Wagner-Peyser grant awarded to NCTM to conduct this program is a part of the Texas A&M University System’s multi-faceted efforts to aid veterans in achieving success through education and job-placement initiatives.