As biomanufacturing investment accelerates, workforce readiness has emerged as a critical bottleneck. In this executive interview, leaders from JobsOhio and the Ohio Life Sciences Association discuss a bold solution: the Ohio Life Science Training Center.
Designed as a public-private initiative with up to $30 million in investment, the center will create a statewide pipeline of skilled operators and technicians for pharmaceutical manufacturing and biotechnology. With partnerships spanning universities, community colleges, and technical schools, the program aims to deliver consistent, industry-aligned training across all 88 counties.
The initiative addresses a key gap in Ohio’s otherwise strong infrastructure for life sciences: workforce availability. By offering standardized curriculum, certifications, and a “one front door” approach, the training center simplifies hiring for employers while accelerating job readiness for candidates.
As global competition intensifies, this effort positions Ohio as a destination for scalable, dependable growth—supporting the full life science value chain from research through manufacturing and distribution.
Irena Luo:
Hi, I'm Irena Luo. Joined today with me is Eddie Pauline, CEO of Ohio Life Sciences Association, and Tyler Allchin, managing director of healthcare at JobsOhio. Thanks for being with me today.
Tyler Allchin:
Absolutely. Thank you.
Irena Luo:
Today, Tyler and Eddie will be talking about the Ohio Life Science Training Center, a groundbreaking public-private initiative of up to $30 million to build a skilled workforce pipeline for biomanufacturing in Ohio. This training center will be located in the Columbus area with partnerships with universities, community colleges, and technical schools that will anchor a statewide network of training locations to meet the growing demand for roles in pharmaceutical manufacturing and biotechnology. So what is the vision behind the Ohio Life Science Training Center and why is it a critical investment for Ohio's biomanufacturing workforce?
Tyler Allchin:
In anticipation of unprecedented investment in biomanufacturing, both on active pharmaceutical ingredient and fill-finish, Ohio has been intentionally for many years now building a product to serve the manufacturing of medicine broadly. We've got a great product, particularly on the infrastructure, the sites, utilities, ample water, power, electric, natural gas, all the things that are necessary to drive a facility. What was a step behind was our workforce, particularly in operators and technicians, the on-the-ground folks that are putting the medicines together and finally into packaging. This was our step, really, to put a ton of investment resources and leadership and strategy into creating a sustainable and fast-growing pipeline of workforce for this industry.
Eddie Pauline:
Ohio has proven time and time again that it can respond very quickly to industry needs. So we heard directly from industry about some of the barriers to growth. Workforce has been a common theme, probably really throughout the entire country. Ohio really leaned into supporting new workforce initiatives. So everything from new K-12 programs, teacher training programs, we launched a life science learning kit to get more students familiar with the industry. This training piece became a key priority to ensure that the biomanufacturing industry could grow and Ohio would remain competitive, as Tyler said, as we go out and get our share of this transformational investment that the pharmaceutical industry is making. So it's going to be a transformational opportunity for Ohio and keep us extremely competitive as we move forward as it expands.
Tyler Allchin:
We couldn't be happier to be doing it hand in hand with Ohio Life Sciences. Really, at JobsOhio, we believe that we're building a best-in-class economic development organization to serve life sciences and healthcare growth industries, and to be doing that with Ohio's trade association and Life Sciences that is doing the same, absolutely building a best-in-class wraparound service for these high-growth employers in the state is really a powerhouse combination.
Irena Luo:
No, absolutely. And anything that drives economy is always a positive. So what type of job skills and training will the center provide to prepare Ohioans for careers in pharmaceutical manufacturing and biotechnology?
Eddie Pauline:
Yeah. The initial need is really operators, biotech operators. We need a stronger pipeline of people that are familiar with how to work in an FDA-regulated environment. So CGMP training becomes a sort of first priority for the center. Manufacturing foundations, lab techniques, and then as the center gets up and running, we'll mature into different types of education pathways as really the industry needs. So right now accommodating sort of that packaging, fill-finish type work is a key priority, and we're going to expand from there.
Tyler Allchin:
Building upon that, Ohio has a deep history of manufacturing excellence across a variety of sectors. We believe we're primed to take advantage of that core competency that we have across the state. This program that Ohio Life Sciences is going to lead on behalf of the state and our employers will really provide Ohioans with that foundational enabling layer of education curriculum that will then provide them with a certificate that they can take for employment across the state. We really knew that we needed a statewide solution here, and we're excited about Ohioans from all 88 counties being able to have access to this program and then take that credential for employment at places like Amgen and Hikma, the CROs that we have in the state, CDMOs like Forge and Andelyn Biosciences in Columbus. It's really a growing, diverse group of employers, and this certificate it will fuel all of them.
Irena Luo:
That's amazing. So why is this initiative important for biomanufacturing companies operating in or possibly returning to Ohio?
Eddie Pauline:
Yeah, I think the most exciting part about the effort is the fact that it's creating a one-stop shop for workforce solutions. If you look at the advantage, the ease of use of sort of one common brand, one front door, a statewide network that no matter where you tap into, you're going to get a common product. It makes us very competitive. Historically, maybe an employer goes to a state, they're given a list of 15 or 16 different universities or community colleges that they can work with. That's all great, but when you have to negotiate all those individual relationships, it could become cumbersome. Our effort in Ohio solves for that. Again, one common brand, one front door, you're going to know what to expect when you engage with the Ohio Life Science Training Center.
Tyler Allchin:
We interviewed dozens and dozens of employers as well as other service providers in this workforce space. And what has come back as we work with industry is that the pipeline of quality hires is critical, whether you're already in Ohio and looking to expand or you're considering your next state, the locale that you're going to place a multi-billion-dollar investment. That ability to hire that first two, three, 500 operators and technicians is absolutely critical in that decision making. And we believe that we are creating a solution that allows global leaders to scale faster than they would other places.
Irena Luo:
So I want to kind of look at the players involved. How's does the partnership with JobsOhio, the Ohio Life Sciences Association, state and local governments, and the life science industry really helped ensure the success of this initiative?
Tyler Allchin:
Yeah. JobsOhio, from our economic development seat, our board, and even at a governor level really has prioritized workforce development and ensuring that we're able to see out into the future with those hires. This was a need that we saw having competed for a handful of really premium biomanufacturing projects. And again, that need being underscored from employers that there needed to be a standalone, industry-driven, led by our trade association that could have a foot in both worlds, right? The workforce development space, but also on industry. And again, underscoring a comment I made earlier, Ohio Life Sciences and Eddie and team are absolutely primed to lead this effort.
Eddie Pauline:
Yeah. I think the way that the governance structure is going to allow us, sounds a little cliche, but sort of work at the speed of business. We're ensuring that the industry voice is present throughout the entire process from the construction of the facility to then informing the curriculum. So there'll be an industry advisory board that will work very closely with us and the investors into the center. Again, having JobsOhio as a resource in the state is a true differentiator. I don't think people truly appreciate how important it is to have a privatized, nimble, agile, well-resourced economic development entity that can really make things happen. So the speed at which we're able to get things done is a real differentiator as we build this out, and I think industry will continue to appreciate the fact that we can accommodate a variety of different needs with the infrastructure that we have.
Irena Luo:
So it looks like there's a lot of momentum in life science in Ohio. Can you share a little bit more about that?
Eddie Pauline:
Yeah. I mean, I think what has been motivating this significant investment in the training center, the support is backed up by real examples of success. If you look at the case of Sarepta Therapeutics, moving its entire R&D operation from Boston to Columbus, Ohio, is significant. Many people started to ask what's happening in Ohio that would drive such an investment like that. Again, it goes back to the fact that we can support that entire life science value chain. The recent news about Resilience moving its entire headquarters from San Diego to Blue Ash, Ohio, near Cincinnati. Again, significant. We know having headquarters, R&D facilities, research-and-development-oriented companies gravitating to Ohio is something that we need to celebrate. And it's caused a lot of other organizations within the life science industry to start to ask why. And it gives us an opportunity to boast a little bit more about the assets and capabilities that we have than we ever have before.
Tyler Allchin:
Companies in the life sciences and particularly biomanufacturing, they really value speed to market and dependability in economic development in that wraparound service. JobsOhio being private, we're able to really truly move at the speed of business and delivering a one-stop shop for incentives and workforce support. And now in partnership with Ohio Life Sciences, we'll be able to deliver the same in a workforce training solution that will drive operators and technicians to sites that are rapidly expanding in Ohio.
Irena Luo:
That's amazing. So looking ahead, how do you see the Ohio Life Science Training Center impacting Ohio's competitiveness amid the intense global competition for biomanufacturing companies, and positioning the state as their premier destination for life science innovation?
Tyler Allchin:
Great question. The life sciences space is a must-win for Ohio. You can see that in a couple of ways, first and foremost by the state and JobsOhio and Ohio Life Sciences leaning into the Ohio Discovery Corridor end-to-end value chain in pharmaceutical and biotech research and development all the way through distribution. Ohio has a long and rich history of research led by places like the Ohio State University, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Cincinnati Children's Hospital, the Cleveland Clinic. That base of research, leadership in pediatrics, rare gene and cell therapies, you can take that and move into development at our CROs like Charles River and Medpace down in Cincinnati.
You can now build those therapeutics at our CDMOs at Andelyn Biosciences and Forge Biologics, all the way through scale up at places like Amgen and Sarepta, and ultimately distribution through places like Cardinal and McKesson that have had a longstanding history in Ohio. This training center is really the next step in evolution of that end-to-end value chain as we look to market those pieces, parts that are interconnected in doing great things to go from the lab all the way through patients, and it's really laser focused at the workforce pieces needed to enable it.
Eddie Pauline:
Yeah, it's really putting a spotlight on what we think we're already doing well, but maybe people don't fully appreciate. So knowing that we have a lot of points of entry into that value chain in Ohio, no matter what piece you sort of enter through, we're going to be able to support you. This training center is putting a much stronger emphasis on the workforce capabilities that we know we already have. Again, the Amgen example going from shovel in the ground to producing medicine at that facility in 26 months is significant and special. Not all states could provide the support to deliver something like that. So emphasizing the fact that we're, again, nimble, agile, ready to go, whether it's workforce related, financial incentives, site support, Ohio is ready to respond to what industry is demanding, and that will keep us competitive as the overall market becomes even more complex.
Irena Luo:
Wow. Well, this is a very exciting initiative and exciting time for the life science industry, so looking forward to hearing more. Thank you, Eddie and Tyler, for joining.
Tyler Allchin:
Appreciate that.
Eddie Pauline:
Thanks for having us.