RALEIGH -- Want to learn the skills needed for a great career in biotechnology, one of the state's most cutting-edge industries? North Carolina's community colleges can help. Find out how at the North Carolina State Fair in Raleigh Friday, Oct. 18 through Sunday, Oct. 27.

The North Carolina Community College System is a partner in the BioFrontiers exhibit at this year's State Fair. The BioFrontiers exhibit showcases the importance of biotechnology to North Carolina.

This is the second year the State Fair has sponsored the BioFrontiers exhibit. The exhibit is in a large tent opposite the Kerr Scott Building just inside the Blue Ridge Road entrance to the fairgrounds in West Raleigh. It features partners from state and federal government; from

private industry; and from non-profits and education. Faculty and students from Wake Technical Community College built the large, motorized "double helix" structure featured in the exhibit.

The community college exhibit focuses on education and training for people interested in working in biotechnology, especially in manufacturing. Each year, more than 780,000 men and women enroll in the 59 institutions of the North Carolina Community College System. An increasing number of them are preparing for jobs in biotechnology.

North Carolina has the largest concentration of biotechnology industries in the Southeast. These companies pay well, starting at about $22,000 a year and averaging $40,000. Now at 25,000, the state's biotech workforce could top 125,000 by the year 2020.

The North Carolina Community College System and the North Carolina Biotechnology Center are partners in a comprehensive training program for pharmaceuticals and bioprocessing developed with the help of NovoZymes, Vance-Granville Community College and Central Carolina Community College. Johnston Community College, Durham Technical Community College and Piedmont Community College have also offered the training, which now includes BioWork, BioQuality and BioBusiness.

Biotechnology is the focus of two-year technical degree programs at Alamance, Beaufort County, Cape Fear, Carteret, Central Carolina, Durham, Edgecombe, Forsyth Technical, Guilford Technical, Nash, Piedmont, Pitt, Roanoke-Chowan, Wake Technical and Wilson Tech.

All of North Carolina's community colleges offer excellent technical and college-transfer programs in basic sciences, engineering and manufacturing technology and other disciplines important to biotechnology. For details about community college involvement in

biotechnology, check the "BioFrontiers" section under "What's New" on the NC Community College System website at www.nccommunitycolleges.edu

The following community colleges are scheduled to have representatives working in BioFrontiers: Vance-Granville, Forsyth Technical, Central Carolina, Durham Technical, Piedmont, Johnston, Wake Technical, Asheville-Buncombe, Guilford Technical, Alamance.

For information about the programs and services of the North Carolina Community College system, call Chancy Kapp, Audrey Bailey or Peggy Beach at the System Office in Raleigh, 919-733-7051, or consult the System Office Website at www.nccommunitycolleges.edu

-NCCCS-

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