Friday, September 19, 2008

How We See It

Talent study sets goal; who makes it work?

Earlier this year, Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick signed into law his billion-dollar pledge to boost the life sciences industry in the state. This week, his administration got behind the recommendations of a report conducted by the UMass Donahue Institute and commissioned by the new Massachusetts Life Sciences Center and the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council. After all, a billion dollars is a lot to spend over 10 years without a guide to where it should go. That report, “Growing Talent,” pegged the state’s life sciences work force at 100,000 — a jump from earlier this decade and a definite sign that the a life sciences industry has been growing.

But this fast-growing sector is by no means mature — it is still in its adolescence. And like all adolescents, it will need help from a firm hand if it is to come of age properly. This report, if heeded, could help. Its message varies little from other studies showing an anemic talent pipeline and the need to invest in science and math education. But it also calls for better coordination between academia and industry and for interdisciplinary education programs that emphasize both technical training and education from kindergarten to doctoral degrees.

Such coordination is easy to suggest, but hard to pull off. Scaling the ivory tower, Beacon Hill and the corner office requires a different type of talent — one that sets pride aside and puts a priority on the common good. The sooner that academia, government and industry start working together using the same road map, the sooner we all win.