BY KOH CHUIN YING

THOSE who want a career in the biomedical manufacturing industry can now seek training to obtain the necessary skills.

Two courses - in biologics manufacturing and pharmaceuticals manufacturing - were launched yesterday, by a training alliance, the Biomedical Manufacturing Implementation Committee (BMIC).

More than 13,000 people are employed in the industry. About 1,300 jobs will be added as new plants become fully operational within the next two years.

To meet this need, Singapore Polytechnic, international bioscience and biopharmaceutical company Millipore, and training company DPS Engineering formed the BMIC in March last year to develop a pool of skilled manpower for the industry. It has since trained 429 people in five biologics-manufacturing modules.

Mr Lee Yi Shyan, Minister of State for Manpower and Trade and Industry, said that the memorandum of cooperation signed by the BMIC members yesterday "marks an important step towards the upgrading of skills of our workforce in the biologics-manufacturing industry".

The new courses were designed in line with Singapore Workforce Development Agency's Process Workforce Skills Qualifications framework.

Singaporeans and permanent residents can enjoy up to 90 per cent in fee subsidies under the Skills Programme for Upgrading and Resilience.

The courses will be conducted in Singapore Polytechnic's $1.5 million Biologics Manufacturing Training Centre.

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