Marlborough Students Participate in Biotech Shadow Day

On Thursday, June 8, 650 Massachusetts high school students, including a handful from and , shadowed life sciences professionals across the Commonwealth for the second annual Statewide Biotechnology Job Shadow Day.

The program is sponsored and planned by the Massachusetts Biotechnology Education Foundation (MassBioEd) and the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council (MassBio) with the goal of increasing students’ interest in pursuing science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) careers.

The job shadow day encourages collaboration between the life sciences industry and its future employees and includes company tours and one-on-one mentoring. In total, 19 Massachusetts biotechnology companies and research institutions in 20 locations hosted students from 18 high schools.

“Research has shown time and time again that hands-on, inquiry-based experiences lead students to continue on a path toward further study or career paths in science, technology, engineering and math,” said MassBioEd Executive Director Lance Hartford. “We thank the companies who have committed to helping build the next generation of life sciences employees.”

While Massachusetts is considered a hub for biotechnology careers and boasts test scores in science and math that outstrip national averages, only 14% of Massachusetts bachelor’s degrees are conferred in STEM fields. MassBioEd seeks to ensure that more state students will pursue life science careers, resulting in a pipeline of qualified individuals for Massachusetts biotech companies.