Middlesex Community College: MCC's Biotech Learn & Earn Experience Wins Award For Innovation

Press release from the Middlesex Community College:

Caitlin Buckley

6/23/2021

For over 30 years, Middlesex Community College been a leader of educating biotechnology students in Massachusetts. In 2020, Middlesex expanded the program to include the Learn and Earn Experience – an opportunity for biotech students to work at a partner company while taking classes toward their associate degree. Due to the success of the program, MCC’s Learn and Earn Experience received a 2020-2021 Innovation of the Year Award from the League for Innovation.

“While our students receive relevant experience in their field of interest – and get paid for the work they do – our partner companies receive high-quality and eager-to-learn employees,” said Phil Sisson, MCC’s President-elect. “There are many moving parts and behind the scenes efforts that go into running the program and building MCC’s STEM offerings beyond the classroom. This award highlights all of this tremendous hard work.”

The Learn and Earn Experience at Middlesex was funded by an $841,000 grant from the One8 Foundation. Partner companies – AbbVie Bioresearch Center, Takeda and Ultragenyx Pharmaceuticals – align students’ work shifts with their schedules at MCC to allow them to balance both job and educational responsibilities.

To Dr. Mariluci Bladon, MCC’s Director of the Biotech Program, the experience is a “true collaboration” providing students with relevant work experience, a steady income, and valuable networking opportunities.

“The Learn and Earn experience has given the opportunity to many biotechnology students to reach their dreams, which they thought would not be possible before,” Bladon said. “This is a winning situation as we can continue to provide high caliber, well-trained and educated professionals, which in turn will help the companies to thrive and allow our students and graduates to succeed.”

Bladon emphasizes that the Learn and Earn Experience is a “positive addition” to the already successful biotech program at the college. The program also relates to MCC’s equity agenda, making an education and entrance into the biotech field more accessible for students who need to work in order to afford taking classes.

The flexibility between the partner companies, MCC biotech faculty and staff, and the students has resulted in success and mutual benefits for everyone involved in the award-winning program.

“It is very exciting to receive the League of Innovation award,” said Stefana Soitos, MCC’s Director of the Learn and Earn Experience. “The opportunity to work full-time at a leading biotech company while studying at MCC resonates strongly with students, and we look forward to continuing to provide them with life-changing and meaningful work opportunities.”

MCC Learn and Earn student Austin Mey – who is working at Takeda – feels his future options in biotechnology to now be “limitless” thanks to this opportunity. In addition to gaining work experience, he is learning from and networking with his coworkers.

“Learn & Earn has made my college experience far more exciting,” Mey said. “It gives you the chance to get your foot in the door to a selection of biotechnology companies of your choice at an early part of your career.”

Students in MCC’s Biotechnology Learn and Earn Experience start working in a partner company as a Manufacturing Technician in which they perform routine and critical manufacturing operations. Students are guaranteed employment for one year pending performance expectations and may have an opportunity to grow and progress at the company.

Participating students also have access to a dedicated Learn and Earn team at the college, fulfill their biotech internship requirement with their work experience, and are eligible for tuition scholarships and emergency funding if they qualify.

For more information about the Biotechnology Learn and Earn Experience at Middlesex, visit https://www.middlesex.mass.edu/biotechnology/learnandearn.aspx or contact Stefana Soitos at soitoss@middlesex.mass.edu.

Registration is now open for MCC’s Summer and Fall 2021 semesters. To register, visit www.middlesex.mass.edu/registration/ or call 1-800-818-3434.

Discover your path at Middlesex Community College. As one of the largest, most comprehensive community colleges in Massachusetts, MCC has been a proven leader in online education for more than 20 years. We educate, engage and empower a diverse community of learners, offering more than 80 degree and certificate programs – plus hundreds of noncredit courses. Middlesex Community College: Student success starts here!

This press release was produced by the Middlesex Community College. The views expressed here are the author’s own.