Biological and biotechnology companies utilize a technological workforce which is composed mainly of individuals with B.Sc. degrees. In their view, this is a unstable workforce as a consequence of higher rates of return to M.Sc. programmes. On the other hand, the training of medical lab technologists is too narrow for the perceived industrial requirements in terms of problem solving ability. These companies have expressed a sincere interest in addressing the educational deficiencies of medical laboratory technologists in order to provide a more stable technologist workforce. This is their interest in EvNet and the proposed research project 3(c) under the direction of Dr. Delsworth Harnish, Departments of Biology and Pathology, McMaster University.

The Michener Institute (see below) has recently approached in excess of 160 Biological/Biotechnology companies in Canada with a view to determining the employability of medical lab technologists in this employment sector. The companies have indicated a willingness to participate in continuing education. The terms remain to be defined, but it is envisioned that participation in EvNet would occur through a computer courseware medium (using SoftArc's First Class Client on McMaster's LearnLink server). Potential Partners include Connaught Laboratories, Allix and Cangene , all of which are publicly held Canadian companies. Of these companies, our negotiations are most advanced with Connaught (see next).

Connaught laboratories is a major industrial developer and supplier of vaccine products for infectious disease and biotherapeutics. The company's 1700 employees include an active research and development group, an industrial scale-up group, and a large quality control group. As the premiere biotechnology company in Canada, with annual sales of 400 million dollars, the company has a unique resource base and highly qualified workforce. The company is now a member of the Pasteur-Merieux- Connaught organization. Connaught is willing to partner with EvNet in upgrading the skills of medical lab technologists through courseware mounted and run via First Class Client on LearnLink [Project 3(c) ]. The specific terms of this arrangement have yet to be worked out.