$60,900 per year, the average employment income across workers in the bioscience sector is 44 percent higher than the average for all workers on the Island. The rapid growth of the sector has meant finding innovative solutions to address constraints to future growth: expanding a skilled workforce and increasing incubation, scale-up, and manufacturing infrastructure. CANADIAN ALLIANCE FOR SKILLS AND TRAINING IN LIFE SCIENCES The Canadian Alliance for Skills and Training in Life Sciences (CASTL) is a unique partnership among industry, academic, and government partners to address the significant future skills needs of the bioscience sector in Canada. Led by the PEI BioAlliance, CASTL is supported by Future Skills Canada, federal and provincial governments, and industry. It offers a highly innovative approach that combines academic and technical skill development, with industry-supported Workplace Integrated Learning placements that prepare graduates to be work-ready in the bioscience sector. Additional learning tracks are available for individuals seeking to reskill for a career change, and to employers upskilling their workforce to address future needs, enhancing retention and productivity. CASTL’s vision is to provide the Canadian life sciences industry with the talent needed to support Canada’s
economic future. Infusing the sector with top talent will fuel the sustainable growth of bioscience research, development and manufacturing, as well as attract new businesses and investment capital to Canada. BIOSCIENCE MANUFACTURING INCUBATOR The rapid expansion of PEI’s bioscience cluster also brings an increased need for facilities to support the sector. The new Bioscience Manufacturing Incubator (BMI) will be a 20,000 sq/ft facility comprised of six fully serviced, self-contained units to support pilot-scale manufacturing of bio-based products. The Bioscience Manufacturing Incubator is essential to allow companies moving from the research and development stage to commercial manufacturing to do so in the region. The BMI is specially designed and will be built to meet the strict regulatory standards required for the production of health and nutrition products. This includes food and feed ingredients, probiotics, aquatic health products, veterinary products, and natural health products. Construction is expected to be completed in early 2021. PEI is an ideal location for commercialization of bioscience and biotech-based products. Bioscience companies are able to accelerate the timelines of product development and commercialization, with access to world-class scale-up and manufacturing infrastructure, as well as the skilled talent required to attract and grow these high-tech businesses. For more information on the PEI BioAlliance, visit peibioalliance.com. biotech.ca
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