Fermentation Technician

**About the Program**

Are you interested in building an exciting career in an innovative field that contributes to solving the planet’s environmental challenges'

RapidFermTech is a 5-week rapid upskilling program to train Fermentation Technicians, particularly for employment with Industrial Fermentation companies located in Nova Scotia, Canada. Applicants will be reviewed by employers who are in need of Fermentation Technicians and are interested in hiring graduates. The Industrial Fermentation industry is growing in Nova Scotia, and as such, fermentation, skills are highly sought after and enable employees to build inspiring and well-compensated careers.

The RapidFermTech training program will be delivered in partnership with INNOV in Grand Falls, NB, and the Verschuren Centre in Sydney, NS.

The program is set to begin on-site at INNOV in Grand Falls, NB, on November 4, 2024, with 1.5 weeks of hands-on training. This will be followed by an additional 2 weeks of hands-on training at the Verschuren Centre in Sydney, NS. The hands-on component will focus on industry-relevant fermentation equipment. Prior to the program, students will complete 40 hours of guided online content. Travel support is available for the INNOV portion of the hands-on training.

**What is a Fermentation Technician'**

Fermentation technicians work as part of a team, supporting fermentation process development, optimization and scale-up, and producing the final products. They support product development to create new products aimed at commercial markets in sustainable biomanufacturing. Additionally, Fermentation Technicians help to maintain the equipment and utilities to ensure high levels of safety and efficiency within their facilities.

Duties include:

- Production planning
- Fermenter operation
- Equipment maintenance, repair and cleaning
- Support production scale-up planning
- Troubleshooting and problem-solving

**Who Should Take This Program'**

Industrial Fermentation is a novel and emerging field which is suitable for applicants with a wide range of education and experience. There are no minimum requirements for the program; however, some desired qualifications and aptitudes could include:

- College diploma or undergraduate degree in STEM fields, particularly bioprocessing, biochemistry or biology, as well as brewing, distilling or related fields.
- Transferable skills from other sectors such as brewing, laboratory technicians, power engineers or oil and gas.
- Experience working with equipment such as pumps, valves, steam systems, etc.
- Experience in process operations such as food or pharmaceutical production.
- Laboratory experience.
- A history of being able to problem-solve and make improvements/optimizations.
- Good mechanical aptitude, able to provide support for maintenance in an industrial or related environment.
- Highly detailed and focused, enjoy working on a small team where responsibilities are shared and varied.
- Passionate about the environment and contributing to solutions for climate change.

**How to Apply**

If selected to enroll, there is a tuition fee of $500 to participate.