Governor Healey Announces MCC to Receive More Than $2 Million Expand Career Pathways in the Life Sciences

On Thursday, September 17, Governor Maura Healey and the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (MLSC) announced more than $5.2 million in awards through the Pathmaker program to expand workforce training and create 439 opportunities for Massachusetts residents to prepare for careers in the life sciences. Middlesex Community College received $2,179,977 to support 169 training seats for the college’s Pathmaker Robotics and Automation Program.

“Thank you to MLSC for their continuous support of MCC’s efforts to expand our life sciences offerings on the Bedford Campus,” said Phil Sisson, MCC’s President. “With their assistance, our Robotics and Automation lab is equipped with training systems and processes that are used throughout the industry in Massachusetts. In turn, MCC partners with Insulet Corporation to develop curricula that meets the needs of the workforce across the medical device field. Students participating in our Automation and Robotics or Electronics programs earn valuable critical thinking and troubleshooting skills, as well as training opportunities and certifications to prepare them for direct entry into these in-demand roles. The funding from MLSC has been a game changer for MCC, for the life sciences industry, and for our students completing the program.”

The awards will support five training programs in Boston, Lowell, Upton, Cambridge, Bedford and Burlington, helping residents gain hands-on skills and industry experience while connecting Massachusetts life sciences employers with the workers they need to grow.

MCC is home to one of the first state-of-the-art Advanced Manufacturing/Automation and Robotics Training Laboratories in Massachusetts. Students gain hands-on learning to enter a career in the life sciences industry. MCC’s Pathmaker Robotics and Automation Program addresses a variety of skills, providing the basis for entry-level employment in medical device manufacturing facilities. The program helps with workforce development training recruitment and serves as a resource for a proposed robotics and automation credit program within the college’s STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) division.

“Massachusetts leads the world in the life sciences because of our people, and we want more residents to have a chance to build a career in this growing industry,” said Governor Maura Healey. “These investments will give hundreds of people hands-on training and a clear path to good jobs, while helping our life sciences companies find the skilled workers they need to grow and succeed here in Massachusetts.”

“We’re connecting people with the skills and experience they need to step into great careers and building a workforce that meets the needs of employers across our state,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “Programs like Pathmaker create more opportunities for residents, strengthen our local economies and help make sure Massachusetts continues to lead in the life sciences.”

“Massachusetts’ leadership in the life sciences is built on the strength of our workforce, and we need to ensure residents across the state have clear pathways into this innovative industry,” said Economic Development Secretary Eric Paley, Co-Chair of the MLSC Board of Directors. “These Pathmaker investments are aligning education and training programs directly to the needs of life sciences employers, giving participants the skills and hands-on experience to launch meaningful careers while helping Massachusetts companies find the talent they need to grow and compete.”

Administration officials and the MLSC announced the latest round of Pathmaker awards during an event at Just A Start in Cambridge. For more than 50 years, Just A Start has worked to expand access to housing, education and workforce development opportunities that help individuals and families achieve greater economic mobility. Its workforce programs include biotechnology training that prepares residents for careers in the life sciences.

“Building a pathway into the life sciences starts with giving people a chance to experience the industry firsthand,” said MLSC President and CEO Kirk Taylor, MD. “When a participant can step into a laboratory, work with the same equipment used in the field, and learn directly from experienced professionals, they can begin to see themselves entering a lifelong career in the ecosystem. That is the kind of opportunity Pathmaker is designed to create.”

“Massachusetts has an incredibly strong life sciences sector, but too many residents lack access and the skills to secure careers in the industry,” said Just A Start Executive Director Carl Nagy-Koechlin. “The Pathmaker program has enabled Just A Start to expand and evolve our biotechnology training model to meet the needs of residents and the sector. We are grateful for the opportunity to continue preparing talented individuals for meaningful careers while strengthening the life sciences workforce across the Commonwealth.”

As part of this effort, Just A Start is partnering with the Institute for Protein Innovation (IPI) to bring specialized laboratory automation training to its Pathmaker programming. IPI is a nonprofit research institute dedicated to advancing protein science and developing protein-based tools and resources that accelerate biological research. Through a Post-secondary Education and Training grant of nearly $83,000 from the MLSC’s Education and Workforce Development Grant Program, the partners will integrate automated liquid handling equipment and training into Just A Start’s existing Biotechnology Careers Training programs, including its nine-month program and accelerated 10-week Pathmaker program.

The partnership will serve 56 trainees annually and provide hands-on experience with applied biomedical automation workflows, including automated liquid handling protocols, preparing materials for laboratory testing, documenting experimental data and using basic scripts to control robotic processes. Industry partners, including Moderna and Opentrons Labworks Inc., will help inform curriculum and skills development, while IPI will support curriculum development and instruction.

“Scientists have traditionally learned at the bench, working alongside experienced researchers who provide access to tools and knowledge of their fields,” said Kevin Harvey, PhD, President and CEO of IPI. “As a nonprofit research institute that combines an academic culture with industry-level automation and scaling, IPI is embracing the opportunity to extend that model beyond well-equipped laboratories and even degree programs. Through partnerships with Just a Start and other MLSC Pathmaker organizations, we want to broaden access to cutting-edge protein science and automation, and help build the next generation of scientists who are ready and confident to succeed in a rapidly changing biotech landscape.”

About the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center
The Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (MLSC) is a quasi-public economic development investment agency dedicated to supporting the growth and development of the life sciences in Massachusetts, home to the most verdant and productive life sciences ecosystem in the world. Through public-private funding initiatives, the MLSC supports innovation, research and development, commercialization, and manufacturing activities in the fields of biopharma, medical device, diagnostics and digital health. Since 2008, the MLSC has strategically deployed more than $1.1 billion in Massachusetts, through a combination of grants, loans, capital infrastructure investments, tax incentives and workforce development programs. These investments have created thousands of jobs and propelled the development of new therapies, devices and scientific advancements that are improving patient health and well-being in Massachusetts and beyond.

About MCC
Middlesex Community College is proud to serve the communities of Greater Bedford and Lowell. One of the largest, most comprehensive community colleges in Massachusetts, MCC meets each learner where they are. MCC celebrates 55+ years of impact and 10+ years as an Asian American, Native American and Pacific Islander Serving Institution. Offering more than 80 degree and certificate programs – plus hundreds of noncredit courses – Middlesex features flexible course formats and a variety of award-winning student support services and resources.