Biotech firm teams with Durham Tech on the ApprenticeshipNC Program

KBI Biopharma offers ApprenticeshipNC Program to hire students, pay tuition — with no strings attached

A new biotech work-study program in Durham, NC

Four lucky Durham Technical Community College students will soon pioneer a bold new apprenticeship program with Durham-based KBI Biopharma designed to groom more workers for pharmaceutical manufacturing.

The apprenticeship program announced today opens a Triangle-based jobs development partnership that is expected to serve as a model for the North Carolina Community College System’s statewide ApprenticeshipNC Program.

The project also targets military veterans who might not recognize they have skills and experience that can transfer well into job openings in the life sciences – especially in biopharmaceutical manufacturing.

KBI Biopharma is a biopharmaceutical contract development manufacturing organization (CDMO) that provides accelerated drug development and biomanufacturing services to help pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies globally advance their vaccine and therapeutic programs.

The company CEO Dirk Lange is looking to hire somewhere between 200 and 250 workers. To keep Durham’s top talent at home he’s starting a paid pipeline at Durham Tech.

“It is a very competitive job market specifically here in North Carolina,” said Lange.

With a new $150-million expansion into Research Triangle Park and KBI BioPharma is partnering with Durham Tech on a new three-year apprenticeship program to put students to work.

“They have exposure through the program to logistics, warehousing, and manufacturing support groups all the way to actual manufacturing processing,” said Lange.

While working towards an associate degree, KBI will pick up the tab for tuition and pay a full salary and benefits package.

Lange said it’s “$35,000 to $45,000 a year in the beginning. From there, they’re certainly well prepared to advance their career very quickly within the company.”

Initially, the program is going to target local high school graduates and military veterans. The pilot program is starting small with only four members in 2021 but soon to scale up to somewhere between 25 and 50 people in every graduating class.

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