RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — The Biotech and Life Sciences industry is exploding in the Triangle and employers are looking to hire more workers.

Tuesday, Wake and Durham Tech partnered together to host a career fair to recruit more students to the high-demand industry. 

“This area is growing tremendously; a lot of new companies are moving to the area and companies that have been here [are] expanding and needing a strong workforce,” said Leslie Isenhour, Dean of Biotechnologies at Wake Tech. 

Wake Tech Student, Thad Wilkerson was just one of the students who attended.  He’s hoping a track at Wake Tech will get him his dream job in the biopharmaceutical technology industry. 

“I always had a passion for pharmaceuticals and all the math and the processing that goes into that so I just thought the biopharmaceutical program would be perfect,” said Wilkerson. 

The industry continues to grow. 

A report released in June from the Coalition of State Bioscience Institutes (CSBI) shows the life sciences industry has expanded its labor force by almost 170,000 workers since 2020.

Some jobs don’t necessarily require a bachelor’s degree.

Both Wake and Durham Tech have a certification program that can lead to an entry-level position as a process technician

“I was surprised myself about how vast the biotech field is and the opportunities to grow and I just wanted to be a part of it,” said Joseph Thomson, a Durham Tech Student.

Some of the jobs companies are recruiting for include bioprocessing technicians and manufacturing associates.