KINGSTON, R.I. — Aug. 25, 2025 — The University of Rhode Island College of Pharmacy’s Pharmaceutical Development Institute is hosting several Rhode Island residents interested in a career in the biotech industry for a two-week intensive program to provide the in-depth, hands-on training biotechnology and biopharmaceutical firms are looking for in potential employees.

The PDI’s third annual “Biotech Boot Camp,” a partnership with RI Bio and the state Department of Labor and Training, welcomed 20 students to the institute’s advanced labs in Avedisian Hall on the Kingston campus the last two weeks in August. Trainees, who were selected through an interview and evaluation process after applying, are trained in aseptic techniques, clean-room gowning, document control, biopharmaceutical manufacturing concepts, quality control systems, and measurement and data collection, among other skills.

The program is geared toward individuals interested in entering biotech industries, whether they have a background in life sciences or not. The college’s experienced educators provide the necessary skills and foundational knowledge needed to gain access into entry-level jobs within the life sciences industry. The students get an introduction to biomanufacturing, learn the strict requirements of aseptic processing and maintaining a clean room facility, and get hands-on experience in various lab exercises, according to PDI Interim Director Jennifer Lewis.

“This is an intensive, hands-on training program for those who want to work in the biotech industry,” Lewis said. “Biopharmaceutical manufacturing is a highly regulated industry; a lot that people don’t know about goes into making a drug product. This training really gets into all the components of the industry—lab skills, aseptic techniques, cell culture, lab compliance audits, and more. Once they complete the program, trainees will be able to speak the language of the industry in order to enter or transition into it.”

The training is held in the PDI’s state-of-the-art facilities in Avedisian Hall on the Kingston campus, which include a 7,000 square-foot cleanroom facility that maintains a very low concentration of airborne particulates for pharmaceutical manufacturing, a 1,500 square-foot Analytical and Stability Testing Laboratory, and a 1,500 square-foot training laboratory.

Participants also receive soft skill training through resumé writing and interview preparation workshops to help them secure entry-level positions in biotech, pharmaceutical and healthcare. They are also presented networking opportunities with area biotech firms at the end of the two-week program, and at a job fair planned for the fall with interested companies such as East Side Clinical Laboratory, Brown Urology, Denison Pharmaceuticals, RISE/Thielsch Engineering, Cargill, and others.

The Bootcamp is part of the college’s larger mission to increase innovation opportunities for biotechnology and biopharmaceutical ventures in Rhode Island, and help fill labor shortages in the ever-growing industry, according to Mary-Jane Kanaszet, director of the college’s Office of Healthcare Workforce Development.

“Our workforce development efforts are designed to meet the rapidly evolving needs of health care and the life sciences,” Kanaszet said. “From innovative biotechnology training to accredited continuing education for pharmacists and other licensed health care providers, we are building pathways that prepare professionals with the skills and confidence to make an immediate impact. The Biotech Bootcamp is one example of how we connect education with industry demand, ensuring Rhode Island and beyond has a workforce ready to thrive in a changing healthcare landscape.”