Under the Biden-Harris administration, an ambitious strategy has been unveiled to dramatically bolster biotechnology and biomanufacturing education and job training initiatives nationwide. The plan's launch corresponds with the administration's second Investing in America tour, an endeavor where top government officials, including President Biden, Vice President Harris, First Lady Jill Biden, and other senior Cabinet members, are scheduled to meet with communities reaping the rewards from the record-breaking private sector investments stirred by the Investing in America Agenda.

Since the administration's advent, the private sector has declared an unprecedented $470 billion in manufacturing and clean energy commitments, with a considerable portion being earmarked for biomanufacturing. This booming field leverages biological systems to generate commercial-scale products and services and promises to trigger game-changing advances across various sectors. These include healthcare, climate change solutions, clean energy, food security, agriculture, supply chain resilience, and national and economic security.

The United States, currently a world frontrunner in biomanufacturing, is expected to retain its position due to the action plan's capacity to catalyze further investment in the nation's bioeconomy. The strategy is projected to broaden America's skilled labor pool for the biomanufacturing sector—a field that does not necessarily require a four-year degree—by building a diverse pipeline comprising women, people of color, rural community members, and other traditionally underrepresented groups in emerging fields.

This plan continues President Biden's vision, which took shape last September through an Executive Order as part of his Investing in America agenda. The directive underscored America's need to maximize the biotechnology and biomanufacturing sectors' potential to stimulate quality domestic jobs, strengthen supply chains, and deliver tangible outcomes for the nation's populace. The current action plan serves as a natural progression in this journey.

The plan will build on the administration's efforts to reinforce America's bioworkforce. The Investing in America Advanced Manufacturing Workforce Sprint, launched in May, has brought together employers, unions, and other stakeholders, including the Manufacturing USA Institutes. The collective effort aims to widen pre-apprenticeships, Registered Apprenticeships, and secondary and postsecondary career and technical education (CTE) programs in the biomanufacturing sphere.

The implementation of this action plan has already started, as seen with:

• The National Science Foundation (NSF), the Department of Energy, and the Department of Agriculture are enhancing partnerships with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), and Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs).
• The Department of Education is pioneering cross-sector collaborations through the Unlocking Career Success Initiative and launching a professional learning series concentrating on bioworkforce requirements and the role of K-12 schools and postsecondary institutions.
• The Department of Labor (DOL) is prioritizing advanced manufacturing—including biomanufacturing—within crucial grant programs, such as the State Apprenticeship Expansion Formula grant.
• The Department of Commerce (DOC) is backing a National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals pilot program, which aims to attract high school students toward biopharmaceutical manufacturing career pathways.
• ‍NSF, in alliance with DOL, DOC, and other agencies, will organize a forum to consolidate recognized competency models, develop new models where necessary, and explore credentialing mechanisms for the bioworkforce.