University of Vermont Professional and Continuing Education (PACE) has announced a new Biotechnology Technician Certificate, a 24-week workforce development program that prepares career changers to enter the region’s growing life sciences sector. The new certificate offers tuition-free enrollment, thanks to congressional funding, and provides participants with hands-on lab training at UVM research facilities. No prior science degree is required. 

“By training a new pipeline of lab technicians for our pharmaceutical, biomanufacturing, and research partners, we’re strengthening the entire regional life sciences ecosystem while living out our land grant mission to open doors across our state,” said Kirk Dombrowski, UVM’s vice president for research and economic development. “Research thrives on skilled hands at the bench, and this certificate builds that talent right here in Vermont.”

Led by world-class faculty from UVM’s Larner College of Medicine, at a Carnegie “R1” research university, the certificate spans eight months and asks for a manageable seven to 10 hours per week. It blends asynchronous online coursework with in-person labs, hands-on curriculum, and technical lab experience in a UVM research lab. Students gain real experience from the start, working through lab safety and standard operating procedures, core bench techniques, data analysis, and molecular biology methods in an authentic research setting. All graduates will receive a certificate and will develop a portfolio to share with prospective employers. 

“What sets our program apart is that students don’t just learn techniques in a classroom, they work alongside researchers in a real UVM lab from day one,” said Gerry Herrera, Ph.D., program director, assistant professor of pharmacology at the Larner College of Medicine, which is the seventh-oldest medical school in the country. “That direct and technical experience means our graduates walk into pharmaceutical, biomanufacturing, and research roles already knowing how a working lab operates. For career changers, that’s not just training —it’s a genuine head start.” 

Graduates leave with a well-rounded set of skills: lab safety and professional standards, core technician skills such as pipetting and solution preparation, data analysis using tools like Excel and GraphPad Prism, and advanced biotechnology methods, including chromatography, microscopy, sterile technique, and DNA work. These skills open doors to entry-level roles across pharmaceutical manufacturing, biomanufacturing, and research environments. UVM is also developing additional certificates to expand training pathways in the life sciences.

What sets our program apart is that students don’t just learn techniques in a classroom, they work alongside researchers in a real UVM lab from day one.  

    –– Assistant Professor of Pharmacology Gerry Herrera, Ph.D.

The program is funded through congressional support secured by U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), ranking member of the Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Rural Development, Energy, and Credit, who partnered with Vermont congressional delegation to secure funding for 27 Vermont projects valued at nearly $31 million, including $2.7 million for UVM to create this biotechnology certificate program —including this lab technician certificate— to foster a local and regional skilled workforce and expand UVM’s research enterprise. 

“I’m proud to have helped secure this $2.7 million investment to UVM’s biotechnology certificate program, which will be game-changing for workforce development in our state. By offering tuition-free enrollment, this program will open doors for Vermonters of all backgrounds interested in pursuing a career in biotechnology,” said Senator Welch. “I’ll continue working hard to secure federal funding for educational and training programs that remove barriers to careers in life science and technology.”

This investment allows UVM to offer the certificate tuition-free to eligible participants, removing a major barrier for Vermonters seeking to enter the field. 

The certificate is built for working adults, veterans, career changers, and recent high school grads who are curious about hands-on science, but do not hold a formal science background.

As the program launches, UVM will engage biotechnology industry partners across Vermont and the region to build a robust network of placement opportunities, translating education into employment while strengthening the talent pipeline that fuels innovation and economic growth.

“By offering this Biotechnology Technician Certificate tuition-free, we’re bypassing common barriers and opening the door for Vermont learners to build real, hands-on skills in just 24 weeks,” said Bettyjo Bouchey, UVM’s chief operating officer for PACE. “This new program is a direct expression of PACE’s mission to activate a pillar of UVM’s renewed strategic plan: expanding opportunity, broadening access, and deepening community engagement across Vermont. Connecting our world-class research strengths to practical, accessible workforce training is how we fulfill that promise.”

Those interested can learn more and register for an upcoming cohort on the PACE website.