Life-Science Sprints in Connecticut Campaign and SPRINT Internship Program Launch

News provided by

Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce

Nov 17, 2021, 09:00 ET

NEW HAVEN, Conn., Nov. 17, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The New Haven Region's bioscience companies are joining together to launch the SPRINT (Student Program to Ready Interns for Next-generation Talent) internship program. The goal is to provide over 100 paid job opportunities in the life sciences industry in Summer 2022 for students attending Connecticut Colleges and Universities as well as students with ties to Connecticut. The New Haven Regional Bioscience Collaborative was formed in May 2021 as part of the work of the Governor's Workforce Council and with industry leadership and support provided by the Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce. The paid internship program coincides with the launch of a new campaign to increase the visibility of the life-science industry in the region and Connecticut -- "Life-Science Sprints in Connecticut." The campaign is a concerted effort to continue to grow the bioscience sector.

Life-Science Sprints www.lifescisprints.com

The SPRINT internship program brings together emerging and established companies across the life-science industry in Connecticut. These internships will offer a wide variety of opportunities across scientific, commercial, finance, and administrative functions and all applicants will be eligible to participate in skill workshops. The initiative includes focused outreach to diverse candidates and selected interns will have the chance to get a broader understanding of the life-science industry through rotational talks at various companies. John Houston, Arvinas CEO, said "By combining our collective expertise and resources, we are excited to offer this internship program in Connecticut. We hope to support continued growth of diverse students through real world job experience, which will help build the talent pool in Connecticut to support our growing industry."

Governor Ned Lamont has engaged business leaders to address economic development and talent recruitment and retention. Through his leadership and the work of his Governor's Workforce Council, the goal of this collaborative is to cultivate and promote the benefits of Greater New Haven as a prominent region for bioscience growth and development. The initiative has three components to build a sustainable pipeline of talent, increase awareness and visibility through branding, and expand lab space and infrastructure to support bioscience industry growth. "Connecticut is at the forefront of the growing bioscience sector with industry leaders that are developing cutting-edge advancements that are changing the world," Governor Lamont said. "The people who work in these fields are not only entering careers that provide them with good paying jobs with good benefits, but they're making incredible advancements in research, development, and the discovery of new medicine – and they're doing it all right here in Connecticut. Any person who is considering entering this field should jump at the opportunity to participate in this program."

Individuals interested in learning more about the internship program should visit www.LifeSciSprints.com for information and to register for alerts. Applications for summer internships will open in early 2022 and resources for applying will be available in November 2021.

About Bioscience Collaborative
Bioscience Collaborative is an industry led group formed from the Governor's Workforce Council that follows the NextGen Regional Sector Partnerships model. This industry led initiative, in partnership with the Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce, helps to bring awareness to the resources and workforce available in Connecticut for life-science companies. The Collaborative is focused on three components to build a sustainable pipeline of talent, increase awareness and visibility through branding, and expand lab space and infrastructure to support bioscience industry growth. Companies participating as part of the Bioscience Collaborative include Adela Bio, Alexion/Astrazeneca, Ancera, Artizan Biosciences, Arvinas, Biohaven, Biorez, Boehringer Ingelheim, Cybrexa, EvolveImmune, Halda Therapeutics, Isoplexis, Pangolin Therapeutics, Pfizer, Rallybio, ReNetX, Sema4, Tangen Bioscience, Thetis Pharmaceuticals, Trevi Therapeutics, and 4Catalyzer. The Collaborative is partnering across the state to make this initiative successful including partnerships with Southern Connecticut State University's BioPath program, CTNext, BioCT, and regional universities and colleges.

The Bioscience Collaborative developed from the work of the Governor's Workforce Council. Council Chair, Mark Argosh said, "The SPRINT Bioscience internship program will significantly expand the talent pipeline for our growing Bioscience Sector while providing valuable work experiences for students from diverse backgrounds. This is an exciting opportunity developed by the leadership of the Bioscience Regional Sector Partnership that was former earlier this year through the Governor's Workforce Council." Additionally, Kelli-Marie Vallieres, Executive Director of the Office of Workforce Strategy said, "I am so pleased to see this level of collaboration within the New Haven Bioscience industry. By bringing educators, state agencies and leading bioscience employers all to the same table, the New Haven Bioscience Collaborative is creating a diverse array of career pathways that are truly aligned to the needs of employers and provide high-quality jobs for students across all socioeconomic backgrounds. These types of collaborative efforts are exactly what the Lamont Administration is prioritizing when it comes to workforce development."

About Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce
The Greater New Haven Chamber's mission is to provide value through resources and services to its partner companies and to lead regional economic growth through bold and effective advocacy. The Chamber serves 15 municipalities, Bethany, Branford, Cheshire, East Haven Guilford, Hamden, Madison, Milford, New Haven, North Branford, North Haven, Orange, Wallingford, West Haven, and Woodbridge. Established in 1794, the Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce is one of the three oldest business associations in the United States.