2024 Noncredit Exemplary Award Winner

2024 Credit Exemplary Award Winner
Solano Community College, CA
SCC Biotechnology Program

The Solano Community College Biotechnology Program is an exemplary workforce development initiative that has been in operation for 28 years. It provides a comprehensive education pathway from high school through Ph.D., incorporating multiple entry and exit points for students to enter biotech careers, offering education and career mobility. Thousands of graduates have been placed into high-wage biotech careers across the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond. Many early graduates now serve as industry leaders, and the program enrolls second-generation biotech students.

Initially, the program was developed in collaboration with Genentech. The college has since partnered with numerous other local and national biotech companies. Informed by industry partners, the program built a curriculum specifically and explicitly tailored to local and regional workforce need. It continues to respond to the field, with new curriculum and program design changes as needs evolve.

Originally offering an Industrial Biotechnology certificate and associate degree, the program now provides a full educational pathway from high school to Ph.D., including stacked certificates, a bachelor’s degree, dual enrollment, and guaranteed graduate school admission. With a maximum bachelor’s degree cost of $10,000 and tuition reimbursement options, students typically graduate debt-free. Flexible full- and part-time study ensures accessibility and inclusion, with near 100% job placement at every level.

Solano College pioneered biomanufacturing education, integrating business, regulatory, and quality training into biotech instruction before it became industry standard. As the first U.S. program focused on biotech manufacturing, it has shaped national workforce development, collaborating with colleges and faculty across multiple states. Its innovative curriculum has been shared and adopted by other colleges, supporting industry growth and opportunity. Solano College faculty serve on multiple college and university advisory committees located throughout California and other parts of the United States; the faculty especially work closely with faculty in the hotbeds of the biotech industry like Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Washington, New York, and Texas and the emerging areas like Utah, Illinois, Nebraska, Missouri, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Hawaii. Faculty have given talks at conferences in 38 states. This sharing of resources is designed to promote and encourage workforce development in multiple regions.

In 2017, the college opened a $34 million biomanufacturing training facility in Vacaville, reinforcing its role in economic development. Partnering with local governments, it has helped attract $3 billion in biotech investments. Recognized nationally for its impact, Solano College continues to drive innovation, inclusion, and workforce advancement in the bioeconomy. With its proven ability to create career and education pathways, strong employer connections, and a focus on affordability, this program serves as a model for workforce education. It’s had a transformative impact on learners—often across multiple generations—and helps contribute to a thriving community and economy.