Students from the first class of one of Holland College’s newest programs, Bioscience Technology, hit the road for their on-the-job training recently, and by all accounts, all 14 are creating quite a stir.

The students, who are in their second year of training, have spent the past 15 months or so learning the finer points of everything from tissue culturing to analytical chemistry. In addition to a solid foundation of theory, the students have had plenty of opportunities for hands-on learning, and now they’re in real-life labs, all of their training is coming into play.

For Beth Trueman, her job placement at the Atlantic Veterinary College has been an incredible experience.

“On-the-job training has provided me with the opportunity to work in a research lab setting, which is of particular interest to me. This has not only allowed me to develop my knowledge and technical skills in a working lab environment, but has also given me the chance to interact and gain valuable contacts with outstanding, leading individuals in the field,” she said.

Tarek Saleh, PhD, Professor of Physiology Biomedical Sciences and Chief Scientific Officer for the Atlantic Centre for Bioactive Valuation at the Atlantic Veterinary College runs the lab in which Trueman was placed for her on-the-job training.
 
“This is my first experience with an OJT student and I have nothing but great things to say about the quality, professionalism and dedication our student has shown in the lab.” Dr. Saleh said. “I have been able to ‘talk science’ with her at a level equivalent to students in our graduate program, and she has absorbed this information and asked some thought provoking questions that I still do not know the answers to!  You know you have a great student who is so interested, motivated and enthusiastic about their work when you have to remind them on a daily basis to eat their lunch.”

With a science degree under her belt already, Trueman had an edge over some of her class mates; but all of the students currently out on their job placements are exceeding the expectations of their supervisors.

Matthew Bryenton was sent to Aqua Bounty Canada, a biotechnology company focused on improving productivity in commercial aquaculture. His supervisor, Debbie Plouffe, PhD, echoes Dr. Saleh’s sentiments.

“Matthew has been an exceptional addition to the lab and has already made a number of significant contributions. In fact, we'd love to have him stay on at Aqua Bounty once his program is complete,” Dr. Plouffe said.

Dr. Michael Gibson, instructor for the Bioscience Technology program, said response from industry was overwhelming.

 “The PEI BioAlliance encouraged their members to post OJT positions on PEIJobLink.ca. The students submitted resumes for the positions they were interested in, and the interviews were conducted here at the college. The response was phenomenal. In fact, we were not able to meet the demand.”

In this picture: Beth Trueman, a Holland College Bioscience Technology student, and Dr. Tarek Saleh review samples in the lab.