The Digest of Biotech Job Trends Massachusetts BRIEF II: ENTRY LEVEL JOBS REQUIRING AN ASSOCIATE DEGREE OR BELOW

Transcription

1 The Digest of Biotech Job Trends Massachusetts 2015 BRIEF II: ENTRY LEVEL JOBS REQUIRING AN ASSOCIATE DEGREE OR BELOW

2 About the Digest 2 The Digest of Biotech Jobs Trends in Massachusetts consists of an on-going series of publications that include Briefs and an Annual Jobs Trends Forecast. The Briefs present basic data and analysis on particular aspects of biopharma industry job trends. The initial 2015 Briefs are focused upon entry level position job trends in the biopharmaceutical industry. The objectives in publishing the Briefs is to provide basic information about job listings trends, skills required of candidates, prevalence of requirements for high trending occupations. The Briefs are intentionally limited in commentary. Instead, they are intended to form a basis for additional study on job trends, skill requirements of candidates seeking positions in the industry, and how training and higher education programs can align with industry needs. The Annual Job Trends Forecast is intended to provide greater insight based on additional study in these issue areas. About the MassBioEd Foundation MassBioEd engages teachers, inspires students, and guides the life sciences workforce. Our BioTeach program supports Massachusetts teachers as they work to engage students through lab-centered, inquiry-based learning. Our Job Trends initiative identifies workforce needs and illuminates the pathway from the classroom to careers in the life sciences. About Brief I: Entry Level Jobs Requiring an Associate Degree or Below The initial Briefs covering job listing trends in the biopharmaceutical industry are focused on entry level positions. This Brief provides a focus on entry level job listings in the biopharmaceutical industry that required as associate or less as a minimum requirement for employment. Entry level positions are those requiring two-years or less of experience. Most of the data used in these Briefs is sourced from Burning Glass Technologies, Labor/Insight Real-Time Labor Market Information Tool. Additional sources, where noted, include the Bureau of Labor Statistics (Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics OES) the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council (MassBio). Acknowledgements The analysis found in the Brief was conducted by Mark Bruso, Research Associate, under the direction of MassBioEd Foundation Executive Director, Peter Abair. Erica Dickinson, Product Support Manager at Burning Glass provided able assistance to the MassbioEd research team in effectively using data from Burning Glass Technologies. MassBio, the industry council serving the biopharmaceutical community of the Massachusetts region, provided support for this series and MassBioEd s on-going job trends initiative. For more MassBioEd job trends analysis, visit MassBioEd.org.

3 Introduction 3 This Brief presents the job opportunities in the biopharmaceutical industry in Massachusetts from for entry-level candidates with an associate or below. Positions requiring an associate and under have generally made up the smallest educational attainment segment of entry-level job listings since 2010, over one-hundred fifty job openings lower than those requiring graduate s, hovering between a high of 16% in 2014 and a low of 11% in Job Trends, Of all the entry level positions posted in the biopharma industry in the past five-plus years, the following graph shows the share of which were for jobs that did not require at least a four-year college. Regardless of experience level, these constitute the smallest percentage of available jobs in the industry. Share of All Core BioPharma Entry Level Jobs Requiring an Associate Degree or Below, % 15.7% 11.7% 14.0% 15.8% 13.8% In 2015, there was 310 total job postings for entry level workers below the bachelor s level out of a total of 2,251 total core entry level job listings for the biopharma industry here in Massachusetts. Over the first half of the decade, this share has held constant i.

4 4 Distribution of Minimum Education Requirements, Each Experience Level, % 17% 23% 16% Associate's Degree + Below 11% 7% 7% 14% Bachelor's Degree Graduate Degree Inner Ring - Entry Level 2nd Ring - 3 to 5 years' exp. 3rd Ring - 6 to 8 years' exp. Outer Ring - 9+ years' exp. 70% 70% 76% 68% The above graph ii demonstrates the percentage of jobs in the biopharma industry at each experience level by level. A bachelor s makes up the majority of all postings at all experience levels. In 2015, slightly below 23% all job listings were for entry level applicants (of 9,815 core biopharma industry job listings). Of those 2,251 job entry level listings, an Associate and less accounted for slightly less than 14% of openings. On the whole, entry-level and associate and under job openings accounted for 2.5% of the pool of industry job posts. Of the remaining job listings, just about 45% of all jobs were for those with three to five years of experience, 18% of jobs were for applicants with 6 to 8 years of experience, and nearly 15% of jobs for those with nine years or more of job experience.

5 Total Number of Core Entry Level Jobs Requiring Associate or Less, Annually, The raw number of jobs available in this category has steadily increased in the past three years, from a low of 159 in 2012 to a high this past year of 310 an increase of 95%. In the years 2011 through 2014, the number of annual Associate graduates in the state in biotechnology and life science academic programs was approximately 250 per year iii. Looking at the two-year moving average, we are able to discern a clearer picture of the direction of job openings for associate s and under in the industry over the past half-decade. At right you can see a clear upward trend in job postings Number of Core Entry Level Jobs, Assoc. Deg. & Under, 2-year Moving Avg.,

6 # of Job Postings Share of All Entry Level Postings MassBioEd Foundation Requiring an Associate Degree or Less: Total # of Openings + Share of All Entry Level Jobs, % % % 11.7% % % % 16.0% 14.0% 12.0% 10.0% % % 4.0% % 0 0.0% Skills Baseline skills refer to the underlying, foundational skills that permeate all jobs and industries. These skills, found consistently across the economy, include organizational skills, communications skills, writing, and assorted computer proficiency. The source for most of the data found in the brief is Burning Glass Labor Insights, which captures both baseline skills and specialized skills from published job listings. In contrast to baseline skills, specialized skills are occupation specific (e.g. chemistry to be a chemist).

7 7 The top 10 desired baseline skills listed for entry level jobs requiring less than a bachelor s in Massachusetts biopharma are provided here iv. Top 10 Baseline Skills for Entry Level/Associate & Under Job Listings in Biopharma, Communication Skills 36% Research Organizational Skills Quality Assurance and Control 26% 28% 30% Writing Detail-Oriented Troubleshooting Microsoft Excel Computer Skills 22% 20% 18% 16% 15% Microsoft Office 11% Skill clusters, or groupings of like-skills, also provide a unique view into what types of skills and backgrounds are expected of qualified candidates. Below is a graph showing the skills clusters most in-demand for job openings requiring less than a bachelor s in the biopharma industry in Massachusetts.

8 Skill Clusters in Greatest Demand, Sub- Bachelor s Openings, Communication and Coordination Problem Solving 64% 70% Business Environment Skills Biotech 53% 50% Project and Process Flow Skills 36% Sciences: General Basic Patient Care 29% 27% Admin Support Medical Specialties Biology 17% 17% 17% Leading specialized skills for each of the leading job listings are provided throughout this Digest.

9 9 Top Job Listings in 2015 Entry Level, Associate Degree or under required This section is dedicated to the high-trending occupations in the industry in 2015 that require less than a Bachelor s and less than two years of experience. These occupations fall primarily into two distinct categories: clinical operations and production. Below is the graph of the top occupations for this category, by online job postings, for all of 2015 v. Top Associate and Under Entry Level Jobs, 2015* Medical Laboratory Technician 55 Manufacturing / Production Technician 33 Quality Inspector / Technician Medical Laboratory Technologist Health Technician / Technologist (Other) Medical Assistant Assembler / Fabricator Production Worker Animal Care Technician Sales Representative *of 310 total entry level listings requiring less than a bachelor s

10 10 1. Medical Laboratory Technician vivii Many workers in these positions find themselves performing routine medical laboratory tests for the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease, many times working under a Medical Laboratory Technologist. Common Job Titles for Medical Lab Technician: Lab Technician, Lab Assistant, Medical Laboratory Technician, Clinical Lab Assistant, etc Graduate 3% High school or vocational training 29% Job listings requiring Associate Degree or less Specialized Skills most often requested and/or required by posting companies for Medical Lab Technician openings: Data Entry (24% of all postings), Chemistry (19%), Cleaning (19%), Centrifugation (18%), Phlebotomy (18%), Sample Preparation (18%), Biology (14%), Venipuncture (13%), and Good Laboratory Practices (13%). Bachelor's 53% 651 Postings* Associate 15% From 2010 until 2015, only about 44% of all Medical Laboratory Technicians openings had a minimum education requirement below a four-year. Just over half required a four-year or above. *55 postings omitted educational requirements

11 11 2. Manufacturing/Production Technician Commonly perform tasks such as [setting] up, testing, and adjusting manufacturing machinery or equipment, using many different forms of technologies (electronic, mechanical, computer, etc.). Common Job Titles for Manufacturing/Production Technician: Almost all of the titles found for this occupation were for Manufacturing Technicians Bachelor's 16% Job listings requiring Associate Degree or less Specialized Skills most requested and/or required by posting companies for Manufacturing/Production Technician openings: Cell Culturing (55%), Cleaning (50%), Validation (45%), Process Equipment (45%), Aseptic Technique (34%), Good Manufacturing Practices (31%), and SAP (19%). 192 Postings* Associate 25% High school or vocational training 59% 59% of all open Manufacturing Technician positions required a high school or vocational training, while 25% required at a minimum an Associate. A small minority of open positions, 16%, requested a Bachelor s. *20 postings omitted educational requirements

12 3. Animal Care Technician 12 Officially categorized as Non-Farm Animal Caretakers, workers employed in these positions typically Feed, water, groom, bathe, exercise, or otherwise care for pets and other nonfarm animals [and] may keep records of feedings, treatments, etc. Common Job Titles for Animal Care Technicians: Animal Care Technician, Animal Technician, Animal Care Specialist, and other similar titles Associate 5% Job listings requiring Associate Degree or less Specialized Skills most requested and/or required by posting companies for Animal Care Technician openings: 99 Postings* High school or vocational training 95% Animal Husbandry (75% of all posts), Animal Care (50%), Collaboration (25%), Record Keeping (24%), Cleaning (21%), and Inspection (19%). Every job opening for Animal Care Technicians did not require that a candidate possess a four-year. In fact, 95% of the openings were open to those with just a high school diploma. *13 postings omitted educational requirements

13 4. Sales Representative 13 Sales Representatives, especially those working in a capacity related to the wholesale and manufacturing of technical or scientific products are expected to sell goods for wholesalers and manufacturers where technical or scientific knowledge (biology, engineering, chemistry, and electronics) is required. Common Job Titles for Sales Representatives: Sales Representative, Inside Sales Representative, Sales Coordinator, etc Graduate 1% High School 5% Associate 8% Listings requiring Associate Degree or less Specialized Skills most requested and/or required by posting companies for Sales Representative openings: Sales (42%), Aseptic Technique (14%), Logging (14%), Materials Processing (14%), Microbiology (14%), Air Sampling (14%), Spreadsheets (14%), and Sales Management (14%); amongst others. 580 Postings* Bachelor's 86% Of all entry-level job openings for Sales Reps in the past six years, only 12% had a minimum required below a bachelor s. The vast majority 86% - required a bachelor s for qualified applicants. *25 postings omitted educational requirements; excludes BGTOCC Medical/Pharmaceutical Sales Representatives ( )

14 14 5. Quality Inspector/Technician Not to be confused with Quality Control Analysts, workers in these positions often inspect, test, sort, sample, or weigh nonagricultural raw materials or processed, machined, fabricated, or assembled parts or products for defects, wear, and deviations from specifications. May use precision measuring instruments and complex test equipment. Common Job Titles for Quality Inspector/Technician: Quality Control Technician, Quality Inspector, Quality Assurance Specialist, and Quality Control Inspector, among others. Job listings requiring Associate Degree or less Graduate 4% High school or vocational training 31% Specialized Skills most requested and/or required by posting companies for Quality Inspector openings: 174 Postings* Bachelor's 54% Associate 11% Inspection (46% of all postings), Data Entry (17%); GMP and Packaging (15% each), and Labeling, validation, and Water Testing (13% all). As shown above, the majority of Quality Inspector open positions required at least a four-year. However, a large portion of positions were available for those lacking those s 42% of all open positions required either a high school or associate.

15 *14 postings omitted educational requirements Medical Laboratory Technologist These positions generally require that the employee perform complex medical laboratory tests for diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease [and] may train or supervise staff. Common Job Titles for Medical Laboratory Technologist: Medical Technologist, Clinical Research Associate, and Laboratory Technologist. Job listings requiring Associate Degree or less High school 3% Graduate 4% Associate 13% Specialized Skills most requested and/or required by posting companies for Medical Lab Technologist openings: Knowledge of Medical Technology (55%) & HIPAA (30%); Record Keeping (28%), Clinical Experience, Urinalysis & Hematology (all 27%), and Flow Cytometry & Infection Control (24% each). 447 Postings* Bachelor's 80% Fewer than 16% of all entry level jobs were accessible to those with less than a bachelor s, while the lion s share 80% - required a bachelor s (4% require an advanced ). *52 postings omitted educational requirements

16 16 7. Assembler/Fabricator These workers are responsible for assembling an entire product or component of a product... may participate in making management decisions affecting the work. Common Job Titles for Assembler/Fabricator: Senior Assembler, Assembler, and Assembly Specialist. Listings requiring Associate Degree or less Specialized Skills most requested and/or required by posting companies for Assembler/Fabricator openings: 4 There were 61 total job openings viii for entry-level Assemblers in the Massachusetts biopharma industry between 2010 and 2015, five of which elected not to disclose the educational minimum for their open position. Of the 57 that did, every single one required a high school or vocational training as the minimum requirement for eligibility for the open position. Hand Tools (40% of all posts), Medical Device (37%), Inspection (36%), Inspection (36%), Microscope (34%), and Labeling & Equipment Calibration (30% each)

17 17 8. Health Technician/Technologist ix These workers are workers within a healthcare facility or clinic that can specialize in any of the following: diagnostic imaging, laboratory testing, or surgical assisting. Common Job Titles for Health Technicians & Technologist: Technician, Technologist- Health Monitoring, Gnotobiotics Technician, and Rederivation Technician. Job listings requiring Associate Degree or less Specialized Skills most requested and/or required by posting companies for Health Technician/Technologist (Other) openings: Postings* Bachelor's 23% Associate 17% Graduate 4% High school or vocational training 56% Animal Husbandry & Cleaning (30% of all posts), Histology (25%), Aseptic Technique (18%), and Good Laboratory Practices (16%). Health Technicians/Technologists (other) saw the majority of their openings available to those with less than a four-year. 56% of jobs required a high school level education, while 17% required possession of an associate. *10 postings omitted educational requirements

18 9. Medical Assistant 18 These workers perform administrative and certain clinical duties under the direction of a physician clinical duties may include taking and recording vital signs and medical histories, preparing patients for examination, drawing blood, and administering medications. Common Job Titles for Medical Assistant: Clinical Assistant, Imaging Assistant, Medical Assistant, and Medical Office Assistant. Job listings requiring Associate Degree or less Associate 2% High school or vocational training 98% Specialized Skills most requested and/or required by posting companies for Medical Assistant openings: Clinical Affairs (31% of all posts); Copying and Data Entry (both 30%); Patient Care and Vital Signs Measurement (22% each); and Clinical Research (20%). 80 Postings* In the six year from the start of 2010 until the end of 2015, approximately 98% of all available jobs in this sector required less than an associate, while the remaining 2% of job openings required possession of an associate. *37 postings omitted educational requirements

19 10. Production Worker 19 These positions generally require that the employee operate machinery and/or assemble and inspect finished products. Common Job Titles for Production Worker: Manufacturing Associate, Senior Production Associate, and other less frequent titles. 13 Job listings requiring Associate Degree or less Bachelor's 51% Graduate 1% High school or vocational training 31% Specialized Skills most often requested and/or required by posting companies for Production Worker openings: 104 Postings* Associate 17% Inspection and Medical Device (53% of all postings, each); Microscope (51%); Schematic Diagrams, Allergies, Hand Tools, and Labeling (33% each), Equipment Calibration (31%), SAP (27%), and Aseptic Technique (23%). Unlike many other manufacturing and production roles, Production Workers in the Massachusetts biopharma industry contained a plurality of job openings with a four-year requirement. 17% required an associate, and 31% required a high school or vocational training. *20 postings omitted educational requirement

20 Top Employers 20 Over the period of this report, , there was one company which hired nearly twice as many entry-level positions requiring less than a four-year : Sanofi Genzyme posted 213 job openings with the aforementioned qualifications. Below, we break down the top employers into separate categories those involved in commercial operations and those engaged in non-profit biomedical research. Mass. Life Science Companies, Most Entry Level/Assoc. Degree & Below Job Openings, Mass. BioPharma Non-Profits, Most Entry Level/Assoc. Degree & Below Job Openings, Sanofi Genzyme Charles River Laboratories Quest Diagnostics Medtronic Bristol-Myers Squibb Shire Dana Farber Cancer Institute Tufts University Partners Healthcare Tufts Medical Center Harvard University Abbvie 27 IDEXX Laboratories, Inc. Bayer Corporation Smith & Nephew The above graph is comprised of medical research organizations or universities with strong histories of research. Waters Corporation Hoffmann-La Roche Pfizer The graph at left is comprised of traditional commercial companies. Novartis 10 Takeda Pharmaceuticals 10

21 21 The next two graphs show the same breakdown as the two previous illustrations, except that it details the past year, 2015, instead of the six-year period seen above. Most Entry Level/Associate Degree & Under Core Job Openings, Life Science Companies, 2015 Most Entry Level/Associate Degree & Under Core Job Openings, Non-Profits, 2015 Cape Cod Healthcare 6 Sanofi Genzyme Charles River Laboratories Medtronic Hoffmann-La Roche Quest Diagnostics Boston University Partners Healthcare Harvard University Dana Farber Cancer Institute Pfizer 9 Takeda Pharmaceuticals 7 Zoll Medical Research 7 Amgen 5 Bristol-Myers Squibb 5 Koch Service Incorporated 5 Abbvie 4 Hoffmann La Roche 3 Life Technologies 3

22 22 i BG LI ii BG LI iii See Appendix iv Methodology computed using BG Biotech STEM filters (4) for the NAICS Codes of 622, 6113, 6215, 5413, and 3345 and STEM occupational filters for the NAICS Codes 3254 and 5417 v Burning Glass Labor Insight, vi All Occupational descriptions were derived from O-Net s OnLine Directory, vii All occupational top skills/titles were derived using preferred educational level, not minimum educational level viii Titles, Skills, and Educational Minimums from 6215, 3254, and 5417 ix Job Description from