BioTalent Canada

B IOTALENT CANADA Recently, Business View Magazine posed some questions to Rob Henderson, BioTalent’s President and CEO. The following is an edited version of his written reply. BVM: Can you tell us a little about the history of BioTalent Canada? What was in the minds of its founders and what was the need that had to be filled? Henderson: “BioTalent Canada was formed in 1997 by several industry associations to address the skills gaps in the biotech industry. For the first 15 years, we relied on Government of Canada funds to remain viable. These funds were directed by the federal government under the Sector Council Program. In 2012, we became an independent organization. Today, our mission is to provide valuable, evidence- based labour market information and the best job-ready human resources available. BVM: Can you talk about your membership and why an organization would want to be a member? Henderson: “We boast a membership base of 10 provincial and four national biotech industry associations that help make up BioTalent Canada’s governance structure. But we also have the BioTalent Canada Partnership Program that—much like our country—extends far and wide. It’s made up of more than 64 partners across Canada. Our partnership program consists of an array of employers, associations, immigrant serving agencies, post-secondary institutions, and more. “There are plenty of benefits associated with a BioTalent Canada partnership. Among them, is the opportunity to: • Access BioTalent Canada’s stakeholders directly, • Get branding on various BioTalent Canada communications products,