Good morning.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, distinguished members of the committee, and ladies and gentlemen, for the opportunity to share in your examination of employability issues in Canada.
My name is Colette Rivet and I am Executive Director of the Biotechnology Human Resource Council.
Biotechnology is comprised of such core technologies as RNA/DNA applications, cell and tissue culture and engineering, nano-biotechnology and subcellular processes. It involves such sub-sectors as human health, agriculture, food processing, natural resources, environment, aquaculture, bioinformatics, and of course bio-energy.
Biotechnology also encompasses such areas as life sciences, pharmaceuticals and medical devices, all sharing specific biotechnology competencies within a unique global environment.
The full achievement of the potential benefits of biotechnology depends on the industry's ability to manage its human resource challenges. A more strategic and national approach to the human resource challenges facing the industry is critical to ensure the long-term growth and sustainability of the sector.
In addition to driving demands in human health and the other sub-sectors, current trends driving demand for bio-products include concerns for the environment, greenhouse gas reduction, and the cost and availability of petroleum. New products promise to deliver added value at the farm gate, while at the same time providing products that lessen the impact on our environment.
Agriculture and forestry will form the basis for the creation of a new industry based on renewable carbon and a new and prosperous Canada.
However, rapid commercial and technological progress is stressing the industry's human resources capacity. Overall, Canadian-based biotechnology companies have global niche opportunities, but at the same time these firms face unique business challenges because they are highly regulated, research and development intensive, and many have long product development times with high-risk product failure.
Most are small enterprises and many of these have uncertain futures because of limited access to financing. So as a result of this limited long-term financing and minimal staff per company there has been little focus and funds available for human resources and the skill issues. Competition is also intense due to the highly specialized international nature of this industry.
The biotechnology industry has a wide range of skill requirements, including entry level and senior researchers, as well as experts in areas such as intellectual property, quality assurance, informatics, and marketing. The development of emerging technologies requires new skills, often immediately.
As companies move through their life cycle they require new technical management and leadership skills that are not needed at earlier stages. Similarly, as products move to commercialization, skills are needed in companies and public sector bodies in areas such as regulatory affairs and legal affairs.
The many players and stakeholders in Canada in the Canadian biotechnology industry vary in size, location, the sub-sector in which they operate, and the stage of development, while sharing the specific competencies that are required.
The shortage of qualified people is impacting the growth of Canadian biotechnology. The sector is now beginning to realize how acute this is, and people like venture capitalists and junior scientists and administrative managers are realizing that they need to understand how the biotechnology industry is different from the industries they are used to dealing with.
Biotechnology Human Resource Council's objective is to ensure that qualified, skilled, and experienced people are available to fill the jobs in the industry and can contribute to the development of a more competitive sector. As a non-profit and national organization it works with industry, researchers, educators, governments, and employees to meet this goal. BHRC has a critical leadership and coordination role in working with industry stakeholders.
Our first recommendation is that we believe the Government of Canada's role should be to support a stepped-up partnership approach between the government and sector councils to address and implement labour market solutions.
As a sector council, BHRC has a strong advantage in successfully leading a national human resource strategy for the biotechnology industry, since BHRC's membership is of the industry, and industry buy-in will be critical to achieving strategy. BHRC has a national mandate and is pursuing a less fragmented approach than is currently the situation, partnering with provincial and territorial governments and regional organizations to complement and build upon initiatives and reduce duplication of efforts. Also, there are many private, public, and non-profit organizations across the country that are involved in education, credentialing, and/or training within the biotechnology sector, and BHRC remains objective and inclusive to all potential partners, while leading the recognition process of those that enable the job readiness of workers. And BHRC is pursuing a strategic and systemic approach that will build sustainability for the work accomplished within the biotechnology sector.
The second recommendation is related to competencies and training. The rate of scientific advancement globally and both the emergence of new technologies and convergence of existing technologies translates to the need for human resources with interdisciplinary training and an ability to remain flexible in a rapidly evolving environment. This interdisciplinary training is the major gap in scientific and technical programming today. In addition to the need for programs that converge scientific disciplines and provide more hands-on training to increase their relevance to industry needs, areas such as intellectual property, regulatory affairs, and commercialization need to be integrated to help students to understand the industry beyond the research and discovery stages.
Companies will stress the importance of continuous learning and future concerns regarding the ability of staff to adapt to changing business environments. A number will suggest that if individuals can demonstrate specific competencies, they can be brought on board and trained in required technologies and skills.
So the second recommendation we provided you is to facilitate the setting of national skill and occupational standards, which will assist with integration and help coordinate the needs of employers, as well as the development of a national qualification framework, including Canadian credentialing and certification systems, which will assist with foreign credential recognition.
Thank you very much for your time.