A new North Carolina Central University (NCCU) online program will broaden the pipeline of qualified employees to the pharmaceutical industry by providing industry-specific certification in areas such as project management and regulatory practices.
The program is being offered through NCCU’s Biomanufacturing Research Institute and Technology Enterprise (BRITE) and is partially funded by the National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL), a public-private organization established in 2017 to support biopharmaceutical workforce development.
“The Stackable Credentials program advances our mission to provide all students with job-ready skills upon graduation,” said NCCU Chancellor Johnson O. Akinleye. “This innovative online program not only addresses specific needs of North Carolina employers, but also provides wider access to higher education and greater flexibility for students.”
Known formally as Stackable Credentials to Strengthen the Pipeline to Biopharma, the certificates will be offered through the internet learning portal NCCU Onlineand will complement BRITE’s articulation agreements with several community colleges, including Durham Technical Community College, Forsyth Technical Community College, Vance-Granville Community College and Alamance Community College, said Professor Kevin Williams, Ph.D., who led development of the proposal, along with BRITE academic advisor Natacha Janvier-Derilus.
Originally published August 31, 2018.