LOCAL LIFE SCIENCE FIRMS WELCOME SKILLED VETERANS
It’s midnight 100 miles off the coast of the Baja California Peninsula. The general quarters alarm sounds throughout the ship and, without hesitation, some of our nation’s most impressive, highly trained, and capable men and women spring into action to man battle stations, ready weapons, stand up damage control teams, prepare emergency medical equipment and services, and ultimately ready the ship to fight. This meticulously orchestrated drill owes its success to tireless hours of training, strict adherence to protocols, unwavering leadership, and a profound sense of duty inherent in every service member called to task.
According to the 2023 report by the San Diego Military Advisory Council, over 111,000 active-duty service members call San Diego their home. Moreover, the report highlights that around 15,000 service members transition out of active duty in San Diego annually. Of this number, approximately 50 percent opt to depart from the county in search of opportunities beyond the region, with many choosing to leave the state entirely. The exodus of highly skilled individuals from San Diego’s workforce demands attention from all employers. It certainly has mine.
The reality of California’s high cost of living isn’t new, so what could persuade these high-caliber men and women to continue to call San Diego their home? I see my industry as an attractive solution. Like the military, the life science industry is a highly regulated industry that is mission-driven with high levels of adherence to protocol and procedure. Also like the military, it’s a powerhouse economic driver for San Diego. To illustrate, Biocom California’s 2023 Economic Impact Report indicates that, in the San Diego region, the life science industry generates $57.4 billion in total economic output and directly supports 77,770 jobs with an average annual salary of $144,000. These are wellpaying jobs that provide quality of life and a promising path forward.
In addition, the veterans who find roles in the life science industry usually excel in their careers. Across all industries, veterans are 39 percent more likely to be promoted than their nonveteran peers and 8.3 percent more likely to remain at their initial company than their peers, according to LinkedIn’s Veteran Opportunity Report. This should come as no surprise though — I can think of very few professions that require the level of dedication, discipline, rapid learning and adaptability that’s requisite in serving our nation’s military. These men and women are goaloriented self-starters. They understand their value in contributing to missionfocused objectives and strategic goals. They’ve spent years contributing to something larger than themselves, and I truly believe that it’s their desire to continue to contribute to humanity in a meaningful way. Let’s provide them with that opportunity.
It’s a common misconception that jobs in the life science industry specifically require advanced degrees in scientific fields. However, San Diego’s 2,080 life science establishments are a wide range of businesses that require a full spectrum of business, project management, administrative, human resource and logistical support functions, just to name a few. While many veterans might think their background or skills don’t support a career in life science, I would argue that you’d be hard pressed to find better candidates than our former service men and women. What deserves the most attention, however, are the soft skills that veterans bring to the table.
The Biocom California Institute’s Veteran’s Initiative is designed to promote exactly that. This power program provides veterans access to a variety of life science industry professionals and executives and offers job skills workshops, career fairs and mentorship pairing. Additionally, it takes a holistic approach to addressing skills gaps, hiring and job search challenges and creates a direct connection between veterans and the life science industry.
While Veterans Day is a time to reflect upon what our service men and women have given for our nation, it’s also the time we consider how we can better serve them. We need to be actively engaged in promoting the immense opportunities that our veterans have right here in America’s Finest City. In doing so, we continue to strengthen the mutually beneficial relationship between our city and our service members, and appropriately recognize the value our veterans bring to our workforce and our community.
For more information on Biocom California Institute’s Veterans Initiative, please visit biocom.org.