STEM GRADUATES IN DEMAND
Food science, biotechnology programs among options
It’s no secret science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) graduates are in demand in Canada’s knowledge-based economy. But the sheer variety of programs that can lead to rewarding and in-demand STEM careers is worth putting under the microscope.
Take Centennial College’s food science technology program, for instance. As students discover the many processes that food undergoes as it travels from field to fork, they integrate and apply knowledge within chemistry, engineering, biology and nutrition to preserve, process, package and distribute foods that are healthy, affordable, desirable and safe to eat.
“Fundamental first-year chemistry and biology courses set the stage for more specialized courses in second and third years,” says Steve Boloudakis, chair of applied biology and environmental sciences (which includes biotechnology, food science, environmental sciences, architectural technology, construction management and medical laboratory technician programs).
The three-year food science technology program gives students practical, hands-on and theoretical knowledge.
“There are a lot of job opportunities in food manufacturing, especially in southern Ontario. It’s a growing sector and our graduates are definitely finding jobs, especially in quality assurance and quality control,” Boloudakis says. A recent graduate, for instance, took advantage of the program’s paid co-op option and landed a job with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, her co-op employer.
BIOTECHNOLOGY PROGRAM
Centennial’s two-year biotechnology program, meanwhile, is a nationally-accredited offering that prepares graduates to work as bench technicians in quality control and quality assurance in the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. Biotechnology courses provide practical application in industrial microbiology, as well as chemistry (analytical), organic chemistry and biochemistry. The program’s project approach enhances students’ problemsolving and research skills.
Qualified graduates may apply to enter the third year of Centennial’s biotechnology advanced program. Students study biotechnology applications, biochemistry, microbial genetics, and clinical and environmental microbiology needed to launch careers in industrial microbiology.
“A lot of our graduates go on to work in accredited laboratories that do analytical testing on behalf of companies. They may be testing pharmaceutical or food products, for example. Some of our students work in sales. Employers tell us they can train someone how to do technical sales but not in the scientific knowledge they require.” Some also work in nutraceuticals, food that contains health-giving additives and offers medicinal benefits.
STRONG MATH SKILLS
“There’s definitely an important math component to both biotech and food science so students with strong math skills tend to excel in those programs,” Boloudakis says. “Our food science and biotech students develop a lot of hands-on skills in microbiology and chemistry. In my opinion, that’s the differentiating factor between university and college.
“Roughly half of their program hours in college are spent inside a laboratory obtaining those hands-on skills so students are very well prepared to work in a laboratory once they graduate from either of those two programs.” As an added benefit, lab training gives students a “real taste” of what a career in their chosen field will be like. “If they decide they don’t like it, at least they’ll know after the first year,” he says.
While most students enter the food science technology or biotechnology programs directly from high school, an increasing number have a university degree and want to develop additional skills, sometimes because they’re having difficulty finding employment. “They’re entering the fast-track option of either of those programs,” Boloudakis says. “Fast-track students also include internationally-educated professionals with a university degree from their home country.”
There are a lot of job opportunities in food manufacturing, especially in southern Ontario. It’s a growing sector and our graduates are definitely finding jobs.