A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

Project Period:

1 October 1992-30 December 1995

Federal Funding Source:

Department of Education

Federal:

$1,074,922

Non-Federal:

1,114,955

Total:

$2,189,877

Occupational Area(s):

Beginning- to mid-level bioscience technical specialists (20 related occupations)

Status:

Standards were published in April 1995. Bioscience Education and Training Program Directory was published in August 1995. Guidelines for Education and Training: Using the Skill Standards will be published in early 1996.

Description of standards document:

Gateway to the Future: Skill Standards for the Bioscience Industry contains 34 "integrated" skill standards. Each of the 34 integrated skill standards contains the following components: a scenario presenting a real life work situation, including a routine procedure and an unanticipated problem the student must master; the workplace setting in which the scenario would occur, (research and development, manufacturing, clinical laboratories, or generic--applicable to all settings); key competency areas representing the bioscience technical specialist's major areas of responsibility, which must be mastered to successfully perform the scenario's routine procedure; tasks which must be mastered to solve the scenario's problem; skills, knowledge, and attributes (general and industry-specific) necessary to master the scenario's routine procedure and problem; and tools and equipment routinely used by technical specialists in bioscience work.

Description of companion document:

Bioscience Education and Training Program Directory provides information about more than seventy current school- and work-based programs from across the country that prepare people for beginning-level technical occupations in research and development, clinical laboratory testing and diagnostic work, and production in pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and clinical laboratory workplaces. The program descriptions include program level and length, learning sites, summaries of program contents, unique features, and contact information. Also included is a report summarizing trends in bioscience education and training and "best practice" program features.

Guidelines for Education and Training: Using the Skill Standards are guidelines written by educators, industry trainers, and EDC. They consist of seven booklets with much practical "how to" information for educations, industry and union trainers, career counselors, work-based mentors, and others. The booklets cover: K-12 Curriculum and Teaching Strategies; Post-Secondary Education; Work-Based Learning; Teacher, Career Counselor and Work-Based Mentor Development; Assessment and Certification; and Articulation, plus an Introduction. These guidelines will be published in early 1996.

Excerpt(s) of a standard:

Scenario: One part of your laboratory responsibilities is to unpack and process biological samples. While unpacking samples one morning, you notice that one of the samples is leaking from the container. What should you do? What are the tasks necessary to perform the routine part of this situation? What are the tasks necessary to solve the problem part of this situation?

Partners:

American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science, Biotechnology Industry Organization, Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association, PDA, Inc., American Association of Community Colleges, National Association of State Directors of Vocational Technical Education, Service Employees International Union, American Chemical Society.

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