New paid internship program aims to develop bioscience talent

Nov 24, 2021

Area bioscience companies have joined forces to launch an internship program with a goal of developing and attracting new talent.

The new program, dubbed SPRINT, stands for “Student Program to Ready Interns for Next-generation Talent.”

The goal is to provide more than 100 paid jobs in the life sciences industry in the summer of 2022. The program is geared toward students who are attending colleges and universities in Connecticut, or for students with ties to the state.

Both emerging and established life sciences companies are participating in the internship program. Interested students can obtain internships for various roles, from scientific to finance to administrative positions.

John Houston, CEO at New Haven-based biopharmaceutical company Arvinas, said the program will help provide real-world job experience.

The program “will help build the talent pool in Connecticut to support our growing industry," Houston added.

The internship program coincides with the campaign, "Life-Science Sprints in Connecticut," which aims to increase visibility and boost the growth of the state’s bioscience industry.

The New Haven Regional Bioscience Collaborative was formed this past May as part of the Governor's Workforce Council, with industry leadership and support provided by the Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce. More than 20 companies are participating, including Arvinas, Pfizer and Cybrexa. Its goal is to promote the Greater New Haven area as a bioscience hub. In addition to building a talent pipeline, it is increasing awareness and working to expand space and infrastructure to support the industry’s growth.

Gov. Ned Lamont said the state’s bioscience industry is making advancements that are “changing the world.”

“The people who work in these fields are not only entering careers that provide them with good paying jobs with good benefits, but they are making incredible advancements in research, development and the discovery of new medicine – and they're doing it all right here in Connecticut,” Lamont said, in an announcement. “Any person who is considering entering this field should jump at the opportunity to participate in this program.”

For more information about the internship program, visit www.LifeSciSprints.com. Applications for summer internships will open in early 2022.