Sen. Collett announces $250k grant for biomedical apprenticeship program

Information provided by the office of state Sen. Maria Collett

Collett has announced $250,000 in Schools-to-Work grant funding for Pennsylvania’s first Laboratory Animal Caretakers Apprenticeship through the Pennsylvania Society for Biomedical Research.

"Apprenticeships are crucial pathways for well-paying, stable careers that boost our workforce and ultimately, our economy,” Collett said. “The 12^th District is home to thriving biomedical and life sciences sectors, and this landmark program will help fill a growing need for trained professionals in the field.”

The Pennsylvania Society for Biomedical Research is one of 14 grantees to receive a portion of the $3.3M in Schools-to-Work grant funding:

• Pennsylvania Society for Biomedical Research (Bucks, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties) - $250,000: Well-trained laboratory animal caretakers are needed in the biomedical science sector, but there is no established pathway to these positions from secondary education in Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Society for Biomedical Research (PSBR) plans to address this by establishing the first registered apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship program in Pennsylvania to train laboratory animal caretakers. These programs will offer students a path to American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) certification and entry-level jobs in the biomedical and life science sectors.

The Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry’s Schools-to-Work Program provides funding for grantees to establish or enhance a workforce development partnership between schools, employers, organizations, or associations to create employment and training pathways. Applications for the Round 4 Grant were accepted through January 4, 2024.