Partnership to Prosperity Aims to Solve Workforce Problems by Connecting Biopharmaceutical Employers, Educator and Jobseekers

Philadelphia, PA, October 23, 2020 --(PR.com)-- The Philadelphia-based company, Partnership to Prosperity (PTP), is leading the field in solving a real threat to the U.S. workforce: the failure to transition students into workforce-ready employees in the biopharmaceutical industry.

With employers reporting more than 60% of job placements are unprepared, job seekers are either left to sink or swim. More than 54% of college students take on debt to pay for their education, adding to the pressures to find a job, even if unprepared. The gap between the educator’s curriculum and the employer's needs are expanding.

The Partnership to Prosperity consultative program works with employers that are having a hard time filling positions with the right level of experience, helps educators develop customized solutions to support a more targeted level of learning for students and guides job seekers to find the right combination of education and experience.

“The growth of the biopharmaceutical industry has outpaced the quality of job-ready candidates at all levels on the spectrum,” said Bob Castellucci, founder of Partnership to Prosperity. “Both job seekers and employers are frustrated. Job seekers are spending time and money to get through schooling only to walk away with student loan debt and discover they do not have the right experience for the position. Even with a high unemployment rate, biopharmaceutical companies are struggling to find candidates with the experience needed to step into entry and mid-level positions. This is a real threat to the future of our country.”

With a three-pronged approach, PTP works with employers to solve recruitment and placement problems, encourages educators to focus on experiential learning and workforce preparedness and empowers job seekers to chart professional development pathways.

“We’re based in Philadelphia, which is a growing biopharmaceutical hub, but it also has the second-highest student loan debt in the country,” said Castellucci. “That problem is mirrored throughout the major biopharm hubs around the country. The time is now for organizations to step back and evaluate what skills are needed at each position, and work with educators to make systemic change to provide those learnings and set graduates up for success. Without change, we’re going to continue to see unprepared workers, employers struggling to fill roles quickly and the risk of low enrollment in higher or continuing education as the perceived value is lower.”

As the founder of PTP, Castellucci has more than 40 years of experience in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries, providing executive leadership at companies such as Merck, Watson Laboratories and Vertex Pharmaceuticals. PTP works directly with biopharmaceutical companies and educational organizations to close the gap on workforce issues.