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VGCC Franklin Campus hosts Information Session on Biotech training

August 6, 2008 | by VGCC Staff

Vance-Granville Community College’s Franklin County Campus, located on N.C. 56 west of Louisburg, will host a biotechnology information session on Tuesday, Aug. 12 at 5 p.m. in room F306. This is an informal meeting to share information about biotechnology and the future of biotech-related jobs in North Carolina. Visitors can learn more about VGCC’s courses and programs that train area residents for jobs in the growing biotechnology manufacturing field.

One of the programs, the “BioWork” Process Technician course, will be held on weekdays, evenings and on Saturdays, beginning in August at the Franklin County Campus .

BioWork classes are scheduled at three different times for the convenience of students. Students may take the class either from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. or from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Monday and Wednesday, starting Aug. 18. The classes will also be offered on Saturdays, starting Aug. 16, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (including a one-hour break for lunch). Students will choose one of these times and attend that session for the entire course. All classes and registration will be held in room F306 on the Franklin County Campus. Monday/Wednesday classes will conclude on Dec. 10, while Saturday classes will end on Dec.13.

BioWork is a training course that prepares men and women for employment as process technicians within Bioprocess, Pharmaceutical, or Chemical Manufacturing companies. The BioWork training program was developed by a team that included VGCC, the N.C. Biotechnology Center, the N.C. Community College System, Novozymes and 15 other biotech companies. The rigorous 128-hour curriculum covers topics such as workplace safety, chemistry, process control, and microbiology.

Technicians are in high demand throughout the state, including at area companies such as Novozymes in Franklinton, Revlon in Oxford and Iams in Henderson. North Carolina ranks third in the nation in number of biotechnology companies for the fourth consecutive year, according to a 2007 industry survey.

The total cost for the class, including textbooks, is $137.30. A high school diploma or GED is the only pre-requisite for the course.

For more information or to pre-register, call Coordinator Julie Kinlaw at (252) 738-3632. Students should pre-register by Aug. 13. Anyone calling to pre-register should specify the class time that they would like to attend.

Above: VGCC Coordinator Julie Kinlaw uses state-of-the-art equipment in the biotechnology lab at the college’s Franklin County Campus, where the BioWork training course is conducted. (VGCC Photo)