Wisconsin ranks high for developing biotech workforce

MADISON – Battelle, in cooperation with the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) and the Biotechnology Institute, released a report at the BIO International Convention analyzing bioscience education in middle and high schools across the United States.

While the data indicates that the US is not measuring up in life science education, Wisconsin was ranked as a Leader of the Pack. Wisconsin was one of only four states whose students ranked in the top quartile of states in four key bioscience and math indicators: average life science 8th grade National Assessment of Educational Progress (2005), percent of advanced placement biology students scoring 3 or higher (2008), percent of ACT tested students ready for college level biology (2008) and average indexed ACT –SAT math scores relative to the US (2008).

In addition to statistics, the Wisconsin report provides many examples of the innovative bioscience education activities going on in Wisconsin, including: Middle School Life Science Education in Environmental Health, the Summer Science Institute and the Wisconsin Teacher Enhancement Program.

“High quality bioscience education in middle and high schools is the foundation for the next generation biotechnology workforce,” said Laura Strong, President of the Board of Directors for BioForward, Wisconsin’s biotechnology association. “The results of this study support the strength of Wisconsin’s bioscience education while the key findings provide an opportunity to evaluate how Wisconsin can be even more competitive.”