BioHub Maryland, an initiative to accelerate life sciences in the state, today officially opened a new state-of-the-art biopharmaceutical workforce training center at 9808 Medical Center Drive in Rockville. Maryland Lt. Governor Aruna Miller and Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich joined life sciences industry leaders to open the training center on October 24.
Located in one of the nation’s top life sciences hubs, the 8,200-square-foot BioHub Maryland Training and Education Center at Montgomery County unlocks career opportunities for Marylanders and builds the diverse and skilled workforce needed to advance Maryland’s global life sciences leadership.
The BioHub Maryland Training and Education Center at Montgomery County provides hands-on technical training to current life sciences workers, military Veterans and Marylanders who may not have college degrees in a multifunctional facility designed to simulate a real-world biopharma manufacturing setting.
Trainees gain skills such as aseptic techniques and manufacturing recombinant proteins, vaccines, and cell and gene therapies, and essential practices like Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) and Good Documentation Practice (GDP).
The BioHub Maryland Training and Education Center at Montgomery County is made possible through a $3 million investment by Montgomery County. Additionally, the Moore-Miller Administration has provided $1.25 million in operational and capital support to BioHub Maryland since taking office.
The BioHub Maryland Training and Education Center is the only training center in the National Capital Region to feature globally trusted curricula from the National Institute of Bioprocessing Training and Research (NIBRT), an international leader in biopharmaceutical manufacturing training and research.
BioHub Maryland is a skills-first workforce development initiative of the Maryland Tech Council (MTC), the state’s largest life sciences and technology trade association. Its mission is to accelerate the growth of the life sciences industry by expanding the state’s biopharma manufacturing talent pipeline.
Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich stated, “The BioHub Maryland Training and Education Center at Montgomery County is an exciting opportunity to create local jobs and expand our county’s life sciences leadership. Our investment enables job seekers of all educational backgrounds to gain in-demand biopharma skills in a cutting-edge training environment while providing employers the skilled workforce they need to advance the medical innovations that patients around the world depend on.”
Maryland Tech Council Chief Executive Officer Kelly Schulz stated, “The BioHub Maryland Training and Education Center at Montgomery County will set the standard for excellence in life science talent development. We are building the biopharma workforce of the future in Rockville and our doors are open to Marylanders of all educational backgrounds. We are grateful to Montgomery County for their leadership in making this training center possible, and to the Moore-Miller Administration for their critical operations support since taking office.”
Life sciences is a high-paying career option for job seekers who may not have college degrees. One out of every three life sciences job openings in Maryland does not require a Bachelor’s degree, and average annual life sciences incomes are 87% higher than those of other industries in Maryland.
Maryland hosts 2,700 life sciences companies and 54,000 industry workers and, as part of the BioHealth Capital Region, is ranked the nation’s #3 biopharma cluster. Montgomery County is a life sciences leader, hosting a dense concentration of companies, research institutions, and federal agencies such as the National Institutes of Health and the Food and Drug Administration.