Biotechnology Production Workers
Requirements
Education and Training Requirements
High School
To prepare for a job in the administrative or managerial areas of this field, you should take courses in speech and English to develop your communication skills. Business management classes will also come in handy. You should also take science courses, including biology and chemistry, so that you’ll have some insight into biotechnology research and development. If you’re interested in a job as a production worker, take courses in math and science. You should also take courses, such as vo-tech, that will give you some background in machine work and engineering.
Postsecondary Education
Most employers offering production jobs require at least a high school diploma or the equivalent, with workers learning their skills via on-the-job training. Certain production positions require an associate’s degree in biotechnology or a related field and one to three years of experience. Production managers typically have a bachelor’s degree in business management.
Visit https://www.bio-link.org/degrees-and-certificates for a list of college programs that offer biotechnology-related degrees and certificates.
Other Education or Training
The Biotechnology Industry Organization offers continuing education courses, workshops, and seminars on general biotechnology topics. Visit https://www.bio.org for more information.
Certification, Licensing, and Special Requirements
Certification or Licensing
There are no certification or licensing requirements for biotechnology production workers.
Experience, Skills, and Personality Traits
Biotechnology production workers must be alert, dependable, and have good communication skills, both oral and written. As workers interact with all divisions and levels of employees, strong communication skills promote faster and more accurate production. Production workers must be physically fit (and have the ability to lift 30 to 50 pounds), mentally alert to oversee production lines and processes, and have the temperament to work at sometimes repetitive tasks. Administrative and managerial workers must be decisive leaders with empathy for workers at all levels of education and responsibility.