In its first year, Biogen’s CoLab welcomed 18 collaborators across its two sites. In North Carolina, the home of much of Biogen’s manufacturing, CoLab collaborations focused on opening biomanufacturing careers for non-traditional students: students who may not have a college degree or adults looking to upskill for a career change.
Durham Technical Community College’s (Durham Tech) semester-long BioWork certification program was one such resident of the CoLab in 2024, giving students training to prepare them for entry-level positions in the biotechnology, pharmaceutical and chemical manufacturing industries. Armond Shaw, one of the Durham Tech evening class teachers, didn’t need an orientation to Biogen: When he isn’t teaching for Durham Tech, he is busy with his day job as a Biogen manufacturing associate.
Armond threw himself into on-the-job training, but wanting a certification to demonstrate his growing skillset, he enrolled in Durham Tech’s BioWork program, which was then held exclusively on the Durham Tech campus. He completed the program with flying colors, receiving recognition as Student of the Year.
“Biogen changed my life,” said Armond, who began at Biogen in 2020. “I was working at a grocery store, and someone took a chance on me. I didn’t have any of the skills you’d need, but someone believed in me enough to give me a shot. It made a difference in my life and my daughter’s life.”
Durham Tech soon asked Armond back as a mentor and then an instructor for new students. It was an extra time commitment on top of his full-time job, but Armond didn’t think twice. “I've been where they are,” Armond explained. “I know how it feels to want a better life but not know how to get there. That’s why I’m so passionate about this work — it’s my way of paying it forward.”
The BioWork program integrates lectures with hands-on lab experience, and the Biogen CoLab was the ideal location for the lab portion of the curriculum. “The CoLab is game-changing,” Armond emphasized. “Students get to work with pipettes and bioreactors like the ones I use every day in my job. That experience makes a difference when they’re in interviews because they can confidently say, ‘I’ve used this equipment before.’”
Being on site at Biogen also enabled the students to hear from other employees through career panels, gaining valuable insights into industry roles. “The students had so many questions,” Armond recalled. “Hearing directly from professionals made a real impact. It showed them there are so many career paths they hadn’t even considered.”
Nine students completed BioWork at the Biogen CoLab in 2024. Of those, four are now working within Biogen’s manufacturing department.
“The CoLab has been an exceptional asset to the Life Sciences team at Durham Tech, serving as an invaluable resource for our students,” said Telicia Hunter, Life Sciences Program Director. “We are incredibly glad to be able to offer BioWork in this space and thrilled that Armond has been able to be a leader in the program, passing on his training and heart to the next generation.”
Durham Tech’s BioWork is back at the CoLab in 2025, ready to welcome and graduate new cohorts, well-prepared with new skills for new careers throughout North Carolina’s Research Triangle.
