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Ontario Genomics is taking an active role in educating students about the power of genomics, as well as supporting skills development programs for the workforce of the future.
Fostering Genomics Literacy
At Ontario Genomics, we know that as genomics and genomics-enabled technologies continue to advance over the next decade and beyond, there will be an incredible demand for people with the right skills to support their implementation.
There is a significant gap between current high school and college-based programming in areas like genomics, biomanufacturing, data analysis, and other related disciplines, and what will be needed to support the burgeoning bioeconomy.
To counter this, Ontario Genomics is taking an active role in educating students about the power of genomics, as well as supporting skills development programs for the workforce of the future.
High school represents one of the most important points in a student’s education when it comes to choosing a career path. The growth of the burgeoning bioeconomy, driven by genomics innovations, will lead to tens of thousands of jobs in Ontario alone, and it is important that students are both aware and prepared for this growing industry. However, basic genomics concepts are not found in the current high school curriculum, let alone how they can be applied across economic sectors.
Building on the success of our Guide to Genomics in Agriculture & Food lesson plans and video series from last year, Ontario Genomics has taken part in virtual and in-person events to introduce the field of genomics to high school students across the province, having reached over 850 students through these events. A key component of these interactions has been highlighting the impact of genomics research on the students’ day-to-day lives, as well as the many genomics-related careers available to these students as they decide what will come after graduation.
Canadian Agriculture Literacy Month Virtual Event – Genomics in Agriculture & Food:
Ontario’s colleges have long been the go-to post-secondary institutions for hands-on job skills development, whether for students just starting their employment journey or more experienced workers looking to improve their skillsets. They are also a great resource for companies of all sizes to develop applied research projects that can boost profitability, sustainability, and create additional jobs.
Ontario Genomics has dedicated thousands of dollars to the development of novel college-based training programs in the areas of fermentation and biomanufacturing and applied research.
These programs, taking the form of online micro-credentials accessible to all, will provide key training to current and future employees in sectors like biopharmaceutical manufacturing, cell and gene therapy production, cellular agriculture, clean technologies and more, boosting Ontario’s workforce capacity and productivity.
Developing talent for trans-disciplinary jobs in a genomics and engineering biology-enabled world that integrates diverse scientific expertise with market-focused business acumen is a key driver of our strategic goals.
Partnering with CANSSI Ontario, Ontario Genomics launched a joint funding opportunity to establish a postdoctoral fellowship in genome data science. This partnership was built on a common goal – to increase capacity in genomic epidemiology and statistical genetics by attracting, retaining, and developing Highly Qualified Personnel (HQP) in Ontario with expertise in quantitative fields such as statistics, computational biology, bioinformatics, computer science, epidemiology, engineering, genetics, or mathematics.
The fellowship offers two-year salary support of up to $50,000 per year for postdoctoral fellows undertaking full-time research at a CANSSI Ontario partner university or their affiliated research institutes.
“We are thrilled to partner with Ontario Genomics to increase capacity in genome data science, and address some of society’s most pressing challenges.” Lisa Strug, Director, CANSSI Ontario
In its inaugural year (2021), this partnership supported two early-career investigators to solve challenges in genomic epidemiology and statistical genetics, with applications that addressed infectious diseases. In its second year (2022), it supported two budding researchers to pursue work in the areas of statistical genetics, environmental genetics, or the economics and impacts of genomic technologies, in a climate-changing world.
This fellowship, now in its third year, will support the work of early-career investigators pursuing research in the areas of genomics and data science with an emphasis on genomic medicine.