Youth in Bioscience, Pathways to Success
The COVID-19 pandemic is a constant reminder of just how integral medicine and the life sciences are to the health and well-being of our society. Currently, workers in the bioscience industry are working hard on developing vaccines, therapies, and technologies to respond to the ensuing pandemic. As we look toward the future, the bioscience and biotech fields will only grow in a post-pandemic environment—and that is why it is so important to familiarize youth right here in Los Angeles with the possibilities the growing local bioscience industry has to offer.
The Second District held its first Los Angeles County Youth Bioscience Summit on Friday, October 9th. The Summit consisted of panel discussions and interactive lab experiments meant to expose youth to the fields of life sciences.
“The Youth Bioscience Summit gave a platform to share resources for students to build a career in the life sciences. This event shared valuable information to enrich the next generation of bioscience workers with the expertise, skills and experience needed to thrive in the field,” said Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, who has been a champion of providing opportunities for work and learning in the life sciences and related fields.
Additionally, the event focused on the different ways Los Angeles County has invested in bioscience, highlighting strategies to be competitive for entry-level jobs and the various ways a degree in the life sciences touches a wide range of industries. Many of the participants were students from high schools and community colleges located in Los Angeles County.
Originally, bioscience did not have as strong of a presence in Los Angeles County, especially in the Second District, making it that much more difficult for its constituents to connect with the job opportunities arising from the industry’s steady growth.
But five years ago, that all changed with a motion by Supervisor Ridley-Thomas. Following the motion’s approval, the Board of Supervisors directed the County to study key industries for job growth and economic development. The result was the development of a Countywide Bioscience initiative that included a goal to create a workforce pipeline to diversify the industry. The Summit was part of this effort to expose young people to opportunities to work in the field of bioscience, which is increasingly important to do as we face the current economic downturn.
The event gave youth, at all levels, an understanding of the growing LA County bioscience landscape, the steps to take advantage of in career pathways, and hear directly from employers on workforce opportunities. While the Summit is just scratching the surface of what bioscience has to offer, the Second District continues to encourage youth to explore and consider what a future in bioscience can look like beyond the Summit.
Click here for the full agenda and resource guide. View 60-minutes of the Summit in its entirety below:
