• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

Indiana University Offering More Life Sciences Courses

Posted on: Thursday, 26 January 2006, 21:00 CST

By Marcela Creps, Herald-Times, Bloomington, Ind.

Jan. 26--As Bloomington's economy starts to look more towards life sciences, Indiana University is offering a certification program to help prepare more industry managers.

In the fall 2005 semester, IU Bloomington Continuing Studies offered an Introduction to the Life Sciences course with 24 participants. This spring, four more courses are being offered that will complete the certification program.

Jim Shea, program director of professional development programs, said the program is an effort to support life sciences in Bloomington. As a result, many of the classes are taught by area life science employees.

"I like to use people who are from the industry," Shea said.

The program is available to everyone, even those without college degrees. Shea said he hopes the course will help those who work in the life sciences to get promoted and also help college graduates who are underemployed. With the anticipated growth of Cook Pharmica and BioConvergence, Shea said this training will be important.

"As the firms continue to grow, they will continue to need competent managers," Shea said.

Recently the Indiana Department of Workforce Development issued a study saying emerging industries within manufacturing are centered on life sciences. "It is these occupations that will drive economic growth throughout the state," the report said.

Along with the training IU is offering, the classes also give students the chance to meet those already working in local life science businesses, as well as learn from them.

"It's a perfect way to network," Shea said. "I think it's part content-driven and it's part networking."

Since this is the first time these courses are being offered, Shea said there is room for the program to improve. "I think it will grow in terms of the number of people that will enroll each semester."

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

The IU Bloomington Continuing Studies Certificate Program launched its spring classes on Jan. 24.

For more information, call 855-7801 or see www.continue.indiana.edu.

-----

To see more of the Herald-Times, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.hoosiertimes.com.

Copyright (c) 2006, Herald-Times, Bloomington, Ind.

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

For information on republishing this content, contact us at (800) 661-2511 (U.S.), (213) 237-4914 (worldwide), fax (213) 237-6515, or e-mail reprints@krtinfo.com.

Source: Herald-Times

More News in this Category