The Bay Area is the birthplace of biotechnology. The high density of biotechnology companies and universities in this area has generated an increased demand for entry-level jobs. This program is designed to give a rigorous and engaging hands-on introduction to the biosciences while strengthening the math and language skills needed for success in these entry-level positions. The Biotechnology Lab Assistant Certificate will prepare students for jobs such as laboratory aides & assistants, laboratory safety monitors and laboratory testing. No previous science coursework or experience is necessary for entry into this program. Students do need to have completed Math 40, or the equivalent. Students will gain valuable experience with laboratory work, documentation, and collaborative work with their peers. Students will also get an overview of the biotechnology industry and survey different careers. After successful completion of this certificate, students will be ready for an entry level position or a Biotechnology Program-supported internship. Some courses for this certificate also satisfy requirements for the AS in Biotechnology and for transfer to a four-year university.
Annual enrollment is anticipated to be 25 students with 20 completers.
The goal of the Biotechnology Lab Assistant Certificate is to prepare students for entry level employment as a lab assistant in the biotechnology industry; or, to prepare students for a Biotechnology Program-supported internship. The program introduces students to laboratory skills, biological and chemical principles, and career choices in the biotechnology industry.
Upon completion of this program, students will be able to:
Course sequencing depends on the coursework completed prior to starting the certificate.
First semester units = 10 - 12
Second semester units = 12 - 13
Total units = 22 - 25
Course Units Sequence
BIO 11 Science of Living Organisms 4.00 Y1, S1
BTEC 14A Biotechnology Laboratory
Techniques 3.00 Y1, S1
BTEC 108A Practical Mathematics for
Laboratory Science 2.00 Y1, S1
Choose one of the following courses (Career and biotechnology industry overview):
BTEC 4 Introduction to Biotechnology 3.00 Y1, S1
BTEC 5 Briefings in Biotechnology 1.00 Y1, S1
Semester 1 total 10-12
Required Courses (continuation of basic skills and concepts):
BTEC 12A GLP and GMP Principles 1.00 Y1, S2
BTEC 15 Career Exploration in
Bioscience 2.00 Y1, S2
CMST 1A Elements of Public Speaking 3.00 Y1, S2
CHEM 32 Introduction to Medical
Chemistry 4.00 Y1, S2
Choose 2 units from the following electives (Advanced skills):
BTEC 20 Mammalian Cell Culture 3.00 Y1 ,S2
BTEC 22 Enzyme Linked
Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) 1.00 Y1, S2
BTEC 23 Western Blotting Techniques 1.00 Y1, S2
BTEC 24 Introduction to PCR 1.00 Y1, S2
BTEC 25 Analytical PCR 1.00 Y1, S2
Semester 2 total 12-13
Total: 22 - 25
Dora Dye · 05/27/20
From: Kapp, Nick Date: Wed, May 27, 2020 at 7:23 AM Subject: RE: [EXTERNAL] Need approval for new CCSF Biotech certificates To: delveccr . Cc: Folsom, Jing , Vizenor, Andrea , Hernandez, Raymond Dear Dr. Del Vecchio, Thank you for the notification of the changes to your certificate programs sent 05262020. As a regional participant in Biotechnology CTE programs I appreciate the role that each of us have in this particular work ecosystem. By sharing this information we can be sure that we work in support of one another for the betterment of our students. You have been serving on our advisory board for many years and Skyline has been sending representatives to the CCSF Biosymposium about the same amount of time. This past semester's virtual event was an excellent way to continue with the CCSF Biosymposium tradition even in these trying times. The CCSF Biosymposium is an excellent way for both our Instructors and students to get to know the CCSF biotech programs. With this consistent cross pollination I feel that we have many ways to communicate and I look forward to working with the CCSF Biotechnology group in the future with our RJV and ATE collaborations. I agree with the statement in your email that the CCSF program students “tend to work more with research positions”. Your students also tend to be returning students who already have a degree and are looking to retool their work experience in order to find positions. At Skyline with our dual Enrollment classes we are typically looking at recent High School graduates to enter our program. We may have some overlap with the type of students we both serve with our program’s Certificates of Achievement. However, the LMI from December 2019 indicates that Biological Technicians will have over 400 openings per year for the Bay region. This indicates that the workforce demand will more than make up for any overlap in our programs. Also, due to the granularity of the industry that is in our service areas, your service area tends to cover more the research aspect of Biotechnology. A focus on research is clearly denoted in your programs, and this specificity has organically evolved over time as you responded to the needs of industry in your area. I have pulled examples of this from the 3 programs you have listed. Biotechnology Work Experience Certificate of Achievement: “In addition to technical laboratory skills, the students will gain essential career skills with focus on workplace success.” Biotechnology Lab Assistant Certificate of Achievement: “ will prepare students for jobs such as laboratory aides & assistants, laboratory safety monitors and laboratory testing”. Biotechnology Certificate of Achievement lists: “.By leveraging the robust infrastructure at CCSF in the area of biotechnology training, as well as the strong partnerships with local research labs and private institutions, CCSF will be able to make a substantial contribution to the workforce through our certificate program”. These are just snippets that I gleaned from reading the documents you shared. In our ecosystem the CCSF program tends to service more the research aspect of biotechnology and the returning student. At Skyline we try and focus on Biomanufacturing and matriculation from our local high schools. While both our programs focus on the soft skills and while there is a lot of overlap on what we do, I also see that there is projected to be plenty of room in our Bay area workspace for our programs for time to come. Also thanks for consistently providing our area with the Biotechnology Occupations Labor Market Information Report. As usual it is a pleasure working with CCSF Biotechnology. Sincerely Nickolas V. Kapp Director of Biomanufacturing. SMT Division Skyline College 05282020
No files to display