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Biotechnology and Healthcare Industry Alliance

​​​​​​​​​​​I​n August 2022, Dallas College was awarded an $8.8 million grant f​rom the U.S. Economic Development Administration to help underserved communities access living-wage jobs in biotechnology.

Biotechnology is the study of utilizing technology to improve quality of life for everyone.

Technology and health care sectors continue to grow rapidly in North Texas and is a prime location for the future of biotechnology.

Academic Iinstitutions are receiving state and federal funding for life science resources. 

  • The National Institute of Health recently awarded $50 million to the University of North Texas Health Science Center and $250 million to the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.
  • The Texas Legislature granted $90 million to Texas Tech Health Science Center, $84 million to the University of North Texas Health Science Center, $49 million to Texas Woman’s University, $300 million to the University of Texas Dallas and University of Texas Arlington and $60 million to University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.

Corporate life science and biotechnology companies are selecting Dallas/-Fort Worth as their new location​s to focus on biotechnology.

  • McKesson
  • Verily
  • Blue Cross Blue Shield
  • Exonics Therapeutics
  • Peloton Therapeutics
 
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Dallas College is a workforce development organization. That's what we do. And I think whether it's biotech or any other sector, you know workforce development is gonna be key moving forward.

A company cannot grow without being able to find the talent they need to fill jobs. I think Dallas College particularly was in a great position to lead this regional initiative because of our size, because of our experience administering other federal grants.

So, we can, we can play that role and we can allow our partners to do what they do well, in this initiative.

We've got one of the fastest-growing economies in the country where one of the fastest-growing regions in terms of population. But we're still number six in terms of county poverty levels that we realize here in our region.

And we believe that this type of initiative and this type of focus and this type of strong industry will really help us address some of the barriers that have kept a lot of folks on the margins of our workforce and our economy.

So, the workforce development that is coming forward in this particular project is incredibly critical because it's focused on people who have not necessarily been given the open door into this industry.

So, I'm very proud and delighted and honored to be working with Dallas College to make sure that the workforce is it's equitable.

The Dallas-Fort Worth hospital Council Foundation has a long history of workforce development programs, very successful workforce development programs across North Texas. And we feel we have an obligation to bring this expertise and ability to be the hospitals into these types of grants.

If we want to grow biotechnology in North Texas. And we will have all this innovation coming out of research. Academic institutions or startups. We need to have the workforce prepare for those jobs that are needed to make progress in what we are trying to accomplish.

I see the North Texas biotech sector in the next five or ten years, really growing.

Especially I think that this collaboration that between industry and the community colleges and universities, that we provide a workforce for industry to come into this area.

But I think if you look within the United States, you see two hotbeds of the biotech industry.

One of the East Coast in North Carolina, the Research Triangle area. And you

see one on the West Coast in California, San Francisco Bay area. However, I think that with our growing business and industry partners and biotech here in North Texas, with our growing institutions of higher education, were positioned really well to be a key player and contributor to the biotech industry. Not only North Texas, But also United States and in the entire world.

I'm excited about this initiative is collaboration because it's, it's truly regional and it is giving us the motivation, the inspiration to really collaborate regionally.

This grant opportunity really brings us together in a unique way to help grow the entire region.

 
 

As part of this new grant, Dallas College and partner institutions Collin College, Tarrant County College and University of Texas at Arlington will use the funding to create a regional career pathway model in three areas:

  • Biotechnology
  • Biomanufacturing
  • Bioinformatics

The partnership will also generate new employment and educational opportunities with the help of an employer-led biotechnology advisory council.

With Dallas College serving as the “backbone” organization for this grant, employers already onboard include:

  • Children’s Health Medical Center
  • McKesson
  • Medical City - HCA Healthcare
  • Tenet Health
  • Texas Health Resources
  • Evolve Biologics
  • UT Southwestern Medical Center

Together, these seven major health care employers have committed to hiring a combined total of 1,100 entry-level biotech workers, providing above-living wages of at least $15 an hour as well as health care, retirement and benefits that come with positions such as clinical lab techs and pharmaceutical manufacturing operators, among others.

 

With this new initiative, Dallas College will be front and center in welcoming innovation from all sectors and industries who detect, treat and prevent diseases and promote human and environmental health.

Read More About the Grant

We Want You to Join Us

We invite you to join us and our North Texas partnership by joining our advisory committee.

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