VIEWPOINT: North Carolina Integrates Veterans into Life Science Fields
- Aug 14
- 2 min read
8/14/2026
North Carolina has firmly established itself as one of the nation’s leading bioeconomic ecosystems. The state bolsters a dense cluster of over 860 life science industry companies specializing in biopharmaceutical manufacturing, biotechnology, clinical research and healthcare services or technologies.
As the industry expands, the demand to attract, cultivate and retain a highly disciplined, technically skilled workforce surges in tandem.
Today, the life sciences sector employs more than 76,000 people and has announced 9,900 new jobs since 2022. At the heart of this growth are longstanding, multi-decade public-private partnerships that include titans of education and economic development, such as the North Carolina Community College System and the North Carolina Biotechnology Center.
Together, these organizations have cultivated a robust workforce pipeline designed to engage largely untapped talent, especially among transitioning servicemembers, veterans and their spouses, through intentional workforce development strategies that connect people to opportunity.
The North Carolina Biotechnology Center — a state-funded, private nonprofit corporation established over 40 years ago — acts as the state’s primary connector, recruiting companies while fostering workforce advancement through the Military Outreach and Veterans Engagement, or MOVE, Boots to Biotech program, and BioWork, implemented by BioNetwork.
BioNetwork, the life science training initiative of the North Carolina Community College System, addresses the education, training and laboratory resource needs of the state’s bioeconomy through high-quality economic and workforce development. The collaborative spark between the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, BioNetwork and the community colleges offering BioWork creates a seamless bridge between scientific innovation, community investments and specialized education.
The result is a workforce ecosystem designed to help individuals enter high-impact careers while supporting continued growth of one of North Carolina’s most significant industries.
As of 2026, 15 of North Carolina’s 58 community colleges provide the facilities, laboratory infrastructure and instructional expertise necessary to deliver the BioWork program. Students complete approximately 136 to 152 hours of intensive coursework, accessibly designed to equip individuals with no prior science background with fundamental knowledge and skills necessary to start a career as a process technician.
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