As part of an ongoing and strategic effort to support the development of a diverse workforce talent pipeline for the life sciences industry, the MLSC partners with Life Science Cares on Project Onramp. The program creates paid summer internships for Massachusetts college students who are under-resourced and often first-generation, helping to bridge the opportunity gap for these promising young people. Project Onramp also provides wraparound training and support for interns and their supervisors.
A primary Project Onramp partner is Bottom Line, a nationally acclaimed nonprofit that helps students from low-income backgrounds get into college and successfully graduate. Bottom Line provides our Life Science Scholars with one-on-one support every step of the way. Project Onramp also partners with Thrive Scholars and Minds Matter Boston, which are non-profits giving high-achieving, low-income students the opportunities they need to thrive at top colleges, and in meaningful careers.
Diversity is key to our state’s competitiveness and the MLSC is proud to work alongside the industry to ensure the sciences become more inclusive. Project Onramp is breaking down barriers and facilitating students on a pathway to success—while helping life sciences companies build a more diverse talent pipeline for the growing needs of the industry. These internship opportunities serve as a stepping-stone to a rewarding career for a talent pool that has typically had difficulty gaining access to the life science industry. The program will give the students – many of them the first in their families to attend college – hands-on experience and a valuable start towards a career in biotechnology. It will also help growing Massachusetts life sciences companies fill the positions anticipated across the industry. Since 2019, the program facilitated 771 internships with over 160 companies. MLSC has contributed $132,500 to administer the program and sponsored approximately 10% of internships through the Internship Challenge.
If you have any questions, please email Tiffany Zheng , Project Onramp Manager with Life Sciences Cares, at Tiffany@lifesciencecares.org.
