Core Competencies for the Bioscience Laboratory

Core Competencies for the

Bioscience LaboratoryJeanette MoweryLinnea Fletcher

• Round 2, DOL TAACCCT Award to Forsyth Tech CC– Community College Consortium for Bioscience Credentials– 12 colleges, 3 centers

• Identify Core Competencies in 3 Sector Hubs• Biomanufacturing

– NBC2

• Medical Devices (new) • Bioscience Laboratory

– Bio-Link

Why this effort to define core skills?

• Give educators the tools to develop courses, certificates, modules, etc. – Assessments

• Define skills and knowledge necessary for entry level positions– Students know and can articulate what they know– Industry recognizes what students know– Means to measure learning outcomes

• Possibly develop credential based on those core competencies

DRAFT: Common Core Bioscience Laboratory Skill Standards

Draft Draft

Draft of Common Core based on:

2007 Biotechnology and Biomedical Skill Standards; Copyright 2007http://www.bio-link.org/home/shoreline-community-college/biotechnology-skill-standards

Bioscience Competency Model: U.S. Department of Laborwww.careeronestop.org/COMPETENCYMODEL/pyramid.aspx?BIOSCI=Y

Existing draft

• 10 Core topics• Common Work Tasks• Useful to stimulate discussion• Wording and organization are important if

going to find common ground between other two sector hubs

Laboratory Skills

Biomanufacturing

Biomedical devices

?

Organization of Skill Standards

• Critical Work Functions– Major responsibilities of the job

• Key Activities– Activities need to accomplish a critical work

function• Performance Criteria

– Concrete, visible ways that we will know the individual is doing the activity correctly

Example

Then… drill down

Performance Criteria

Texas Skill Standards

• Skill standards tell us what a worker needs to know and be able to do at work and how well he or she must perform to be competent in the job.

Texas Skill Standards Elements

• 3 “Work-Oriented” Elements:– Critical Work Functions - broad areas of

responsibility (10-12)– Key Activities – major tasks required to achieve

Critical Work Function (3-6)– Performance Criteria – standard or proficiency

level to which Key Activity must be performed– Plus 3 “Worker-Oriented” Elements

Example

• Critical Work Function• 2. Clean and maintain environment • Key Activity• 2.1 Clean laboratory environment Performance Criteria• 2.1.1 SOPs are followed• 2.1.2 Personal protection equipment (PPE) such as gloves,

eye protection, aprons and respirators are worn as needed • 2.1.3 Appropriate agent(s) and amounts for cleaning are used• 2.1.4 Cleaning is documented

• 3 “Worker-Oriented” ElementsOccupational Knowledge, Skills and Conditions – technical know-how plus tools, resources & equipment

• Knowledge of the cleaning agents, pest control and other pertinent information needed to clean and maintain the laboratory environment

• Knowledge of company EH&S, GXPs, and OSHA• Knowledge of documentation• Knowledge of basic chemistry • Company SOPs• Cleaning Agents• Gloves, goggles, apron, respirator• Safety SOPs, Safety Data Sheets (SDSs) and related documentation• Other PPE as needed• Company safety forms for activityPLUS

– Academic Knowledge and Skills – traditional subjects

– Employability Knowledge and Skills – SCANS-type competencies

Elements in Skill Standards

• 7th Element:

• Statement of Assessment – how to

evaluate skill competency of person, as

recommended by industry

• Examples: Lab practical, lab notebook

So…

• Current draft is not organized in this way• Next steps?

Process?

• Identify Core Critical Work Functions– Big buckets– Not too many of these– Put activities in appropriate bucket

Possible: Critical Work Functions

• Perform routine laboratory support• Maintain a safe and productive work

environment• Perform record keeping and manage data• Use measurement instrumentation accurately• Practice quality control and comply with

government regulations

Key activities for one Critical Work Function

• Perform record keeping and manage data– Maintain laboratory notebook– Enter and manage laboratory information

electronically– Follow/write documentation such as SOP, batch

record, etc.

Discussion Time