Business View Magazine | August 2020

76 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE AUGUST 2020 • Create and share content through multiple BioTalent Canada channels, • Receive discounts for BioTalent Canada products and Affinity Partners, • Receive advice and resources on HR best practices, and • Get the inside scoop on new projects, programs, studies and what’s coming down the road for biotech skills. BVM: How important is people management and corporate culture in the biotechnology/life sciences industry? Henderson: “People are the most important resource in any industry—biotech and life sciences included. Without people, there is no science. So, while a great idea or a great product may give a company the inside track to success, it’s good people that take a company across the finish line. “We’ve overseen a variety of Labour Market Information (LMI) studies in which employers cite access to job-ready talent as a key barrier to commercialization in the bio-economy. We’ve taken that sentiment and—with our partners— have worked to create programs and standardize curricula that helps produce job-ready talent.” BVM: What are some notable challenges faced in the industry over the past couple years, and what are some recent success stories or notable developments? Henderson: “The biggest challenge, as mentioned earlier, is a labour supply shortage. Small- to medium-sized enterprises are hesitant to spend money onboarding and training new hires because they deem them too risky. This is where BioTalent Canada’s wage subsidy programs come into play. They mitigate the risk of new hires because employers no longer have