From the desk of the County Manager - Made In Durham BULLS
From the desk of the County Manager,
As the home of more than 500 life science companies, the Triangle region of North Carolina is one of the most important biomanufacturing hubs in the nation, and the sector is a key component of Durham County’s economy. Biomanufacturing is also one of the fastest growing industries in Durham County, with over 4,000 jobs added in the past five years and several industry leaders – including Eli Lilly, Merck, IQVIA Laboratories, and Beam Therapeutics, among others – establishing facilities in Durham County in recent years. In addition to the broader economics of the many life sciences companies operating in Durham County, the industry also provides excellent job opportunities. Entry level positions in this area feature average starting salaries of approximately $50,000, with the potential to double that amount after just 10 years in the industry.
This rapid growth of the life sciences sector of Durham’s economy has created both a challenge and an opportunity for the County and its stakeholders – how do we meet an increasing demand for labor in life sciences industries while also creating opportunities for local residents, especially the County’s youth, to create meaningful, promising careers in this area? Research during 2020-2021 related to the BioWork certification (a commonly accepted and utilized job certification program for the Biomanufacturing industry) showed that job openings were projected to exceed certified area graduates by more than 300 positions. These positions were frequently entry level positions, representing ample opportunities for recent graduates with BioWork certificates to get an important foothold in a growing local industry.
To begin to close the gap, Made in Durham, a local nonprofit, collaborated with Durham Technical Community College (DTCC), Durham Public Schools, NC Biotech, and other stakeholders to create the Building Up Local Labor (BULLS) Life Sciences Academy, a workforce development program to assist Durham youth in applying, enrolling, and completing the BioWork certificate program at DTCC and finding employment with local Biotechnology companies. Through the BULLS program, students pursue the BioWork certificate under the instructions of DTCC faculty, while the BULLS program ensures students have access to academic tutoring, study sessions, professional development activities such as mock interviews and resume training, and other soft skills coaching to help prepare students for job searches and career advancement. To help address any financial obstacles that could prevent participating students from completing the program, the BULLS Academy also offers bi-monthly stipends for students that meet program criteria and thresholds like certification attainment and employment.
While Durham County has supported the BULLS Academy from its inception, the County greatly expanded its support for the program in 2023 with a $3,000,000 investment from the County’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding allocation. This investment has allowed the BULLS Academy to both scale and expand significantly; while 71 students participated in the first 5 cohorts of the program prior to 2023,161 students have been able to be supported through the six cohorts that have been supported with the ARPA funds, more than doubling overall program participation.
Program completion and graduation rates equally continue to increase within the program. Since the ARPA funds were provided to expand the program, the overall program graduation rate has increased to 87%, significantly higher than the 64% statewide graduation rate for the BioWork certificate. Perhaps most importantly, the program is leading to employment opportunities for its graduates – based on the most recently available data, 50 graduates were currently employed with Life Sciences companies, while 10 are pursuing further educational opportunities in the field. Overall, graduates are employed at 14 different companies, with 7 companies hiring 3 or more BULLS alumni.
This week marked a significant milestone for the BULLS Academy program. On Wednesday, August 12th, Made in Durham celebrated the graduation of its 11th Cohort. Thirty (30) students were enrolled in the program through this cohort and 100% of the students completed the program. This cohort is the largest cohort for which 100% graduation has been attained, highlighting the sustained growth and development of the program.
The County is proud to support this important program, and we wish all of Wednesday’s graduates success in the next phase of their professional journeys!
Until next week,
Claudia Hager | County Manager