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Holland College’s Bioscience Technology program has received a Gold Program Excellence Award from Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan). The award recognizes a program that is innovative, portable, sustainable, and effective.

CICan presents eight awards annually to celebrate the contributions of individuals and highlight the role colleges and institutions play in Canada’s social, cultural and economic development. The awards are distributed in partnership with TD Insurance. Usually the awards are presented during the organization’s national conference, but due to the pandemic, they were announced online earlier this week.

Holland College’s two-year Bioscience Technology program is the only one of its kind in the region and has strong ties with local and regional members of the biotechnology and bioscience industry. Students participate in six weeks of on-the-job training and complete an independent research project. 

Holland »¢Ñ¨ÊÓƵpresident Dr. Alexander (Sandy) MacDonald said the program’s strong ties to industry have been instrumental in its success.

“Our Bioscience Technology program’s advisory board is comprised of members of the bioscience and biotechnology industry, which ensures that our curriculum is aligned with the needs of local and regional partners,” he said. “The relationship that we have with industry also gives our students access to amazing on the job training opportunities. That the program is led by Dr. Mike Gibson and Dr. Jenn Slemmer, who are both outstanding scientists and educators, also contributes significantly to the program’s success.” 

The program is popular with students from a variety of backgrounds. Some are recent high school graduates, while others have already obtained a science degree but need to acquire practical skills before they enter the workforce.

Holland »¢Ñ¨ÊÓƵoffers a joint Bachelor of Science degree in Biotechnology with the University of »¢Ñ¨ÊÓƵ. The technical lab-based content is covered at Holland »¢Ñ¨ÊÓƵin the Bioscience Technology diploma program either during the first two years of the degree for students who start at Holland »¢Ñ¨ÊÓƵor in Year 3 for students who start at UPEI.