GRANTEE:                   Connecticut Business and Industry Association (CBIA)

ADDRESS:                  350 Church Street

                             Hartford, CT 06103-1106

AMOUNT:                    $3,000,000

DURATION:                January 5, 2004 - January 5, 2007 (36 months)

POPULATION SERVED:  This program will serve 300 unemployed and incumbent workers in the fields of bioscience and bio-medical manufacturing, specifically targeting chemists, biochemists, research laboratory assistants/scientists, design engineers, and biomedical manufacturing companies and science majors in a number of Connecticut higher education institutions.  The program will respond to employer training needs in Connecticut and their facilities in California, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, Ohio, and Virginia. 

BRIEF DESCRIPTION:  The project will provide bachelor’s and Master’s degrees, certificates, and laboratory research experience for prospective and incumbent workers.  Advanced level Ph.D coursework will also be made available.  Training will encompass: 1) postgraduate and undergraduate laboratory research fellowships; 2) traditional and online continuing education at the graduate level in chemistry, biochemistry and biology; and 3) workforce applied training and education related to specific technical needs of each company.

Partnered employers will provide both cash and in-kind match with well over 50 percent of the funds coming from business.  Educational partners will be contributing in-kind match as well.  Total match is $3,910,309. 

The participants will earn bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in the fields of chemistry, biology or other related sciences to help them advance in their companies.  Of the 300 participants, 80 percent are expected to complete.  Those who complete are expected to move into advanced jobs in target fields and be considered for higher wages commensurate with abilities.  Partnering employers state that they will give strong consideration to unemployed workers who have participated in this program. 

The participants will be selected by the partnering employers based on 1) new or existing incumbent workers in their companies; 2) are employed in target occupations in need of advanced technical skills training; 3) are eligible for these training services through federal DOL H-1B regulations; 4) who have an interest in advancing in their positions and/or seek to gain advanced professional and educational status. 

KEY PARTICIPANTS:  Connecticut Business and Industry Association (CBIA), Connecticut United for Research Excellence (CURE), Bristol-Myers Squibb, Pfizer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Rib-X, CuraGen, Becton Dickinson.

MEDIA CONTACT:    Ms.  Lauren Weisberg Kaufman

                            (860) 244-1900