Council member Jamie Gauthier initiated the hearing on preparing Philadelphia residents for life sciences jobs. In this photo, Gauthier is seen speaking at a November 2023 press conference.Philadelphia City Council members want to help city residents land jobs in the emerging life sciences industry, especially those without college degrees.
The Philadelphia region is now home to more than 60 companies working on cell and gene therapies, which seek to treat diseases by correcting a deficiency in a person’s DNA. Their presence has doubled since 2019, Bryan Tsao, manager of life science and health care initiatives at the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia, said at the city hearing.
“Employers need to access a rich candidate pool of capable technicians who have mastered key skills,” said Anne Brooks, a senior vice president at Iovance Biotherapeutics, a locally-based developer of cell therapies for cancer.Philadelphia college students told Council members about how early exposure to science shaped their career interest.