CABRILLO COLLEGE BIOTECHNOLOGY PROGRAM

Provides the student with skills and job training essential for the field of biotechnology. Jobs include technical positions in genetic engineering, forensics, bioinformatics, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, and medicine. This certificate program allows students to attain essential skills in biotechnology and provides opportunities to learn laboratory procedures and safety, how to record and analyze data, perform basic calculations and write laboratory documents. Students also learn about careers and ethical issues in biotechnology. Career Options: Careers for those with a Skills Certificate in Biotechnology would be assay analyst, laboratory assistant or technician, manufacturing technician, QA/QC technician. Jobs for technicians may be found in environmental testing labs, forensic labs, hospitals, plant culturing labs, research labs and wineries.

Enrollment Projections:

In the initial year of the program (Fall 2019-Spring 2020), 28 students are projected to be enrolled in each of the courses. It is the goal of the program to expand course offerings over the following years.  

Completer Projections:

According to the 2015 Biology Department Program Plan, course completion rates for the Biology Department at Cabrillo College is 86% (success rate is 77%). This amounts to at least 17/28 students completing at least one of the certificates after the first year (Fall 2019-Spring 2020). It is the goal of the program to expand course offerings over the following years.  

The primary goal of this program is:

Provides the student with skills and job training essential for the field of biotechnology. Jobs include technical positions in genetic engineering, forensics, bioinformatics, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, and medicine. This certificate program allows students to attain essential skills in biotechnology and provides opportunities to learn laboratory procedures and safety, how to record and analyze data, perform basic calculations and write laboratory documents. Students also learn about careers and ethical issues in biotechnology. Career Options: Careers for those with a Skills Certificate in Biotechnology would be assay analyst, laboratory assistant or technician, manufacturing technician, QA/QC technician. Jobs for technicians may be found in environmental testing labs, forensic labs, hospitals, plant culturing labs, research labs and wineries.

The two primary objectives of this program are:

1. Train students in essential skills in biotechnology and provides opportunities to learn laboratory procedures and safety, how to record and analyze data, perform basic calculations and write laboratory documents. Students also learn about careers and ethical issues in biotechnology.

2. Teach students about careers in biotechnology and the process of obtaining employment in biotechnology.

The certificate provide students with the skills and job training essential for the field of biotechnology. The program allows students to attain essential skills in biotechnology and provides opportunities to learn laboratory procedures and safety, how to record and analyze data, perform basic calculations, and write laboratory documents. Students also learn about careers and ethical issues in biotechnology.

Certificate of Achievement in Biotechnology – 23.25 units total

CHEM 1A General Chemistry I (5 units)

BIO 101 Introduction to Microscopy (0.25 units)

BIO 9A Molecular, Cellular, and Animal Biology (5 units)

BIO 41T Biotechnology Fundamentals (4 units)

CHEM 1B General Chemistry II (5 units)

BIO 42T Advanced Biotechnology (4 units)

Certificate of Achievement

YEAR 1 (Total: 15.25 Units)

FALL
Chem 1A	General Chemistry	5 Units
	Total:	5 Units
SPRING
BIO 101	Introduction to Microscopy	.25 Unit
BIO 9A	Molecular, Cellular, and Animal Biology	5 Units
CHEM 1B	General Chemistry II	5 Units
	Total:	10.25 Units

YEAR 2 (Total: 8 Units)

FALL
BIO 41T	Biotechnology Fundamentals	4 Units
	Total:	4 Units
SPRING
BIO 42T	Advanced Biotechnology	4 Units
	Total:	4 Units

The Cabrillo College Biotechnology Program intends to fill an important educational need in Santa Cruz County. According to a recent labor market report by the San Francisco Bay Center of Excellence (see attachment), “there appears to be an undersupply of Biotechnology and Biomedical Technology workers compared to the demand for this cluster of occupations in the Bay region and in the SC-Monterey sub-region (Monterey, San Benito, Santa Cruz and Counties.) There is a projected annual gap of about 301 students in the Bay Region and 13 students in the SC-Monterey Sub-Region.” These occupations generate relatively high earnings, with a mean salary of $29.80 per hour in the SC-Monterey Sub-Region. In addition, biotechnology programs in the Bay region show a high rate (73%) of student placement/employment upon completion of the program. Most of the 45 skills that are most frequently listed in jobs postings are being taught in the courses associated with the Cabrillo College Biotechnology Program. The student population for the program is projected to be mostly native Cabrillo College students, some high school students (an articulation agreement is in place), and industry employees in need of additional training. Most of the native students would be pursuing an A.S. and/or B.S. in a biological science. Courses in the program will transfer to the CSU system, but not the UC system. However, future curriculum changes will be considered. Regardless of transferability, training in biotechnology can increase the chances of employment for these students.

There are currently no community colleges in the SC-Monterey Sub-Region offering a similar program. However, there are nine in the Bay Region that offer programs of varying size and varying content. They range from 28-301 students being served per year.