Our Story

What is BioAg PRO?

A short-term certificate program designed to prepare people of any age for an entry level career in plants or science. ​

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What’s it for?

BioAg PRO is designed to provide “ready to learn” entry-level employees for lab, greenhouse, garden center, and plant production facilities.  The program provides a bridge from training received in high school or college to the skills and knowledge needed for success in industry.

Companies are hiring greenhouse technician and entry level lab technician positions that do not necessarily require college-level training. This is where BioAg PRO fits in. There’s also a need for plant and soil science training for people coming into plant science and biotechnology from other backgrounds.  Traditional biology training often doesn’t prepare people for work in greenhouses, garden centers, and plant science labs. This translates to lost profits and unusable inventory. BioAg PRO offers training in safety, math, botany, work habits and record keeping for graduates to excel in new roles.​

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How did BioAg PRO come about?

BioAg PRO is a collaboration between industry and academia that benefits the plant science community.  A private company and a leading ag university teamed up with a community college worked and translated their vision into a program funded by the USDA.  This team developed a program that can be completed in a little over a half-year and helps students make the transition to the industry. 

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How is the program doing?

Past and current students consistently give rave reviews to the content and the program team!   The companies that have hosted interns hosting companies also sing the praises of the students and their interest in learning.  Every hosting company requested to host additional interns in the future. We want to get the word out to more potential students!  Our program is designed to be able to be completed from the comfort of the student’s home.  We have a great program, with scholarships and paid internships to make BioAg PRO affordable - even profitable – and we want everyone to know all about it!​ 

 

What are your hopes for the future?

We want to assist every student in securing a job that makes them happy and is more financially stable than before they joined the program.  We help students understand the opportunities available in the local area.  We hope to strengthen the companies that host our interns and to build relationships within the local ag-tech and biotech ecosystem.  Ultimately, we hope to highlight the importance of strong foundational skills in preparing any employee for success in a new role.

We hope that our program will be accepted as a curriculum that could be used anywhere in North Carolina, and that BioAg PRO enables North Carolina citizens to gain employment in the growing ag-tech, biotech, pharma, horticulture, and agriculture industries.