15 September 2005

Governor Sebelius: Growth in biosciences means new jobs
Johnson County Community College receives $1.5 million to meet the needs of expanding bioscience industry

TOPEKA -- Governor Kathleen Sebelius and the Kansas Department of Commerce announced today that Johnson County Community College (JCCC) in Overland Park, Kansas will receive $1.5 million through the Workforce Solutions Fund. This funding will be utilized to produce a stream of qualified bioscience technicians to meet the needs of the expanding Kansas bioscience industry. JCCC anticipates 300-500 bioscience employees enrolling each year to gain or upgrade skills that will help them advance in their careers.

“We have a real opportunity to create good jobs here in Kansas thanks to investment in new technology, specifically biosciences,” said Governor Kathleen Sebelius. “Kansas is moving forward to be a leader in cutting-edge research, and that will benefit our entire state economy.”

With this funding JCCC will construct, equip, and staff a state of the art training facility to sustain and expand a burgeoning biosciences industry in Kansas and serve as a resource clearinghouse for K-12 and post-secondary institutions, as well as entrepreneurial bioscience enterprises. The planned construction of the biosciences wing will be approximately 4,440 square feet and located in the new Regnier Center for Technology and Business.

“It is exciting to see the Kansas 1st Workforce Solutions Fund used to promote such a growing industry in Kansas,” said Dr. Blake Flanders, Kansas 1st Workforce Training and Education Services Director. “This fund is doing just what it was set up to do -- help the state’s post-secondary institutions build curriculum, training programs, and facilities to respond more effectively to the needs of Kansas businesses.”

During the past year the Kansas Department of Commerce, KansasBio, Kansas Technology Enterprise Corporation (KTEC), and National Institute for Strategic Technology and Acquisition and Commercialization (NISTAC) have worked together to create the Kansas Bioscience & Innovation Roadmap. This process was designed to ensure comprehensive understanding of the state’s bioscience assets and opportunities, and included over 700 Kansas business, scientific, and academic leaders. During the Roadmap process, workforce development specific to the biosciences was consistently discussed as a key need within the state. For more information on the Kansas Bioscience & Innovation Roadmap visit www.ktec.com.

The Kansas 1st Workforce Solutions Fund was established under the Kansas Economic Growth Act of 2004 and allows the Secretary of Commerce to make direct investments in Kansas post-secondary institutions. The Fund is financed from existing resources, the majority of which were previously used to pay for overhead expenses.

For more information on the Workforce Solutions Fund, contact Kansas 1st Workforce Training and Education Services Director Blake Flanders, Ph.D. at (785) 296-0205 or bflanders@kansascommerce.com. The Workforce Solutions Fund is part of the Kansas 1st initiative, a Department of Commerce and Kansas Board of Regents workforce development system that connects education, job seekers, and business-directed programs for the purpose of providing qualified employees, financial resources, and workforce training solutions to Kansas business.