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Industry-Readiness Training

The Life Sciences Talent Accelerator course introduces participants to the various roles, business practices, regulations and product development processes within Canada’s Life Sciences industry. 


The course comprises of fourteen asynchronous modules, each developed and led by an industry expert. After completing the modules, participants are awarded digital badges recognizing their achievements. 

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"The preliminary courses provided by the Life Sciences Talent Accelerator program are incredibly useful for interns entering the workforce" 

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​​About Training

Talent

All talent in the Life Sciences Program are required to complete each course before starting their internship in the Life Sciences Industry.

Partners

Created with the help of various Professionals in the Life Sciences Industry, each module was created based on current industry needs.

Badges

By completing each course, talent will gain a digital badge to help validate their knowledge and create a digital showcase on their LinkedIn profile.

Industry

Each digital badge is endorsed a national association representing the Canadian Life Sciences industry.

Life Sciences Talent Accelerator Training Module

​​Program Modules

Life Sciences 101
Business Within Life Sciences
Quality Management and Regulatory Affairs
A.I. and Cybersecurity in Life Sciences
Professional Skills Development
Life Sciences 101

Life Sciences 101

The modules within this digital badge introduce participants to the drug development process, medical writing best practices and the various roles within the Life Sciences sector. 


To receive this industry-recognized digital badge, participants must complete the following modules: 


*Module developed by the Canadian Advanced Therapies Training Institute (CATTI)

Life Sciences 101

  • Overview of Clinical Trials Unit

  • Clinical studies by design and phase

  • Medical Device trials

  • Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs)

  • Good Clinical Practice (GCP) and Quality Assurance (QA)

  • Reporting, patient-reported outcomes 

  • Health Canada Investigational Trial Application (ITA) 

New Vaccine and CMC Development

  • New vaccine development and Chemistry Manufacturing and Control (CMC) development strategy (Phase I, Phase II, Phase III et al);
  • CMC development process for different phases (Phase I, Phase II, Phase III et al) for new vaccines (new medicine)

Biologics: From Development to Clinic

  • Biologics definition, importance, and subcategories

  • mAbs vs small molecules: Main Differences

  • An overview of the current mAb Market

  • An Overview of the mAb manufacturing process

  • Process Development Methodology

  • An overview of the analytical techniques

  • The expectations when working in the field

  • Career growth and opportunities

Organizational Structure and Life Sciences Roles:

  • Pharma organization structure

  • Commercial area: roles, career path & key skills

  • Medical Area: roles, career path & key skills

  • Clinical development area: roles, career path & key skills

  • Regulatory area: roles, career path & key skills

  • Access and government affairs area: jobs, career path & key skills

  • Getting into pharma

Medical Writing

  • What is medical writing? Difference between medical writing and scientific writing.

  • What do medical writers do, and the types of documents do medical writers draft?
    Difference between regulatory writing and medical communications.

  • What knowledge and skills are required to be a medical writer?

  • How to become a medical writer and develop medical writing skills?

  • Who hires medical writers?

  • Importance of Good Publication Practices.

Small Molecule Development

  • Small molecule medications definition and basic concepts

  • Key elements of Drug discovery and Drug development

  • Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API)

  • Finished Dosage Forms  (FDF)

  • An overview of drug product Quality Control and Regulation

Introduction to Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMPs)*

  • What are ATMPs

  • History and Evolution of ATMPs

  • The Growth and Impact of ATMPs

  • Approved products worldwide and in Canada

Cell and Gene Therapies: A Closer Look*

  • Cell Therapies

  • Gene Therapies

  • Manufacturing CGTs

Working in the ATMP Industry*

  • Global Growth of the ATMP sector

  • Careers within the industry

  • Required Skills and Competencies

  • Resources for Further Training and Development

Business Within Life Sciences

Business Within Life Sciences

Participants develop an understanding of the life cycle of Life Sciences products, from new product planning, market research and strategic forecasting to product launch, market access, marketing, and sales.

To receive this industry-recognized digital badge, participants must complete the following modules:

Product Management

  • What is product management?

  • Lean product development

  • Stakeholder management

  • Understanding the problem for the end-user.

  • Qualitative research

  • Customer personas

  • Prototyping

  • Product strategy

  • Product management for life sciences

Project Management

  • Introduction to Project Management

  • Drug Process Development - Patented Medicines

  • Drug Process Development - Generics

  • The Role of Project Management

  • Key Stakeholders

  • Elements of Strategy

Commercial and Business Operations

  • Business Analytics across the value chain

  • Competitive Intelligence (CI) and Market Research

  • Basic and advanced strategic forecasting 

  • Market assessment and sizing

  • Sales force effectiveness and Incentive compensation

Essential Roles in Life Science Commercialization

  • Sales, Marketing and Market Access functions within the life sciences sector.

  • Potential career paths in life sciences commercialization

Pharmaceutical Sales

  • The pharmaceutical product life cycle and stages

  • The role and responsibilities of a pharmaceutical sales representative 

  • The pharmaceutical selling skills model

  • The evolving landscape of pharmaceutical sales and future considerations


Quality Management and Regulatory Affairs

Quality Management and Regulatory Affairs

Participants explore the functions of Quality Assurance (QA) and Quality Control (QC)  in the Life Sciences industry and the regulatory frameworks in which the industry operates. Best practices for manufacturing, clinical trials, laboratory procedures, documentation and operations are addressed.

To receive this industry-recognized digital badge, participants must complete the following modules:

Quality Assurance

  • General understanding of how QC/QA is conducted 
  • Quality management system
  • Environmental monitoring (EM)/sterility assurance
  • Equipment/process qualification (Installation qualification (IQ), operational qualification (OQ), performance qualification (PQ))
  • Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) writing and management
  • Biosafety standards through Public Health Agency Canada

Quality Control 1

  • What are the Regulatory Requirements for Quality Control (QC)

  • What is Quality Control?

  • Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) for QC

  • Examples of Regulatory Findings as they Relate to QC

Regulatory Affairs

  • What is Regulatory Affairs (RA)?

  • CMC - Canada-specific requirements

  • Labelling - Product monograph and other labelling requirements

  • Lifecycle Management

  • Pharmacovigilance and Safety Reporting (AE reporting, DSUR)

  • Health Canada - Roles and responsibilities

  • Interacting with the Agency

  • Quality Assurance and Quality Control

  • Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) 

  • Agency inspections (Process, responding to the Agency)

  • Drug Establishment Licensing

Quality Control 2

  • Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) in Quality Control

  • How GMPs relate to Quality Control

  • Relevant regulatory findings and observations in Quality Control

Why a Life Sciences Company Would Interact with the Government

  • Understand why the life sciences sector must interact with the government

  • Understand the role of the main governmental institutions or organizations

  • Learn the three key roles of companies in their interactions with public authorities:

    • Regulatory

    • Reimbursement 

    • Policy 

  • Describe the type of interactions with government representatives:

    • Civil servants

    • Political staff

    • Elected officials


A.I. and Cybersecurity in Life Sciences

A.I. and Cybersecurity in Life Sciences

This digital badge provides participants with a look at the various applications of AI in the life sciences industry, the opportunities and challenges posed by AI, and the cybersecurity needs of life sciences companies. 

To receive this industry-recognized digital badge, participants must complete the following modules:

Applications of AI in the Life Sciences Industry

  • AI primer and key resources - data, talent, compute

  • Current industrial applications of AI within the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries

  • Industry opportunities and challenges

  • Responsible AI - safety, security, privacy, ethics and bias

Cyber Security Needs of the Life Sciences Industry

  • The history of information and cybersecurity
  • Foundational concepts and areas of focus in relation to cybersecurity
  • Basic cybersecurity awareness and common security best practices
  • Effective tactics for building a career in cybersecurity and common career paths
  • Popular and important resources related to the cybersecurity industry


Professional Skills Development

Professional Skills Development

Participants will come away from this digital badge with essential soft skills that can be applied to various roles in the life sciences industry and beyond. The transferable nature of these skills will help participants keep abreast of rapidly changing work environments. 

To receive this industry-recognized digital badge, participants must complete the following modules:

Equity Diversity and Inclusion (EDI)

  • Understanding Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

  • Building Psychological Safety

  • The Role of Power and Privilege

  • Implicit Biases and Microaggressions 

  • Strategies for Greater Allyship


"Graduates are well prepared to work for Canadian life sciences companies across the spectrum." 

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