City Council wants the gene therapy industry to hire Philadelphians without a college degree

Philadelphia City Council members want to help city residents land jobs in the emerging life sciences industry, especially those without college degrees.

In particular, the cell and gene therapy companies proliferating in the city offer an opportunity to lift Philadelphians out of poverty, Councilmember Jamie Gauthier said Monday at a hearing of the committee on commerce and economic development.

Her district in West Philadelphia includes some of the city’s preeminent research institutions, as well as some of the poorest neighborhoods.

“We have a responsibility to ensure that Philadelphians from the highest-need neighborhoods have the tools and support systems they need to get these jobs,” she said.

The Philadelphia region is now home to more than 60 companies working on cell and gene therapies, which seek to treat diseases by correcting a deficiency in a person’s DNA. Their presence has doubled since 2019, Bryan Tsao, manager of life science and health care initiatives at the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia, said at the city hearing.

The companies are working on cutting-edge medical treatments, such as CRISPR gene-editing for sickle cell anemia, CAR-T to treat cancer of the blood, and a new treatment that allows deaf children to hear.

» READ MORE: The FDA just approved the first gene-editing treatment, and CHOP played a key role

The gene therapy industry is considered a growth sector. A treatment for a rare blood cancer developed in partnership with the University of Pennsylvania was the first gene therapy approved by the Food and Drug Administration, in 2017. Since then, the growing number of treatments has spawned new companies and billions of dollars in annual sales.

Anticipating an employment boom around gene therapy, the city established partnerships to train residents and provide apprenticeship opportunities, said Sam Wood Thomas, senior director of business development and workforce solutions at the city’s Department of Commerce.

For example, the city has funded workforce programs at the Community College of Philadelphia and the University City Science Center that teach skills such as lab techniques. These jobs can pay $40,000 to $60,000 a year, according to the Community College of Philadelphia.

But the demand for skilled workers is still outpacing the current supply of Philadelphia residents with these skills, Thomas said. Local companies are hiring people from outside the city.

“We must consider new strategies and funding to create more training opportunities and new training facilities,” he said.

Although the City Council hearing showcased the economic potential of biotech hiring, the industry has faced financial headwinds in recent years.

Penn’s Gene Therapy Program laid off 84 employees in December, citing “external financial constraints, including diminished research funding from industry sponsors.” More broadly, Philly-area biotech firms laid off more than 500 people since the start of 2022, according to a September analysis by the Philadelphia Business Journal.

» READ MORE: Penn’s gene therapy layoffs are the latest in biotech belt-tightening in Philly and beyond

Representatives from biotech companies were bullish about future growth.

“Employers need to access a rich candidate pool of capable technicians who have mastered key skills,” said Anne Brooks, a senior vice president at Iovance Biotherapeutics, a locally based developer of cell therapies for cancer.

Philadelphia college students told Council members how early exposure to science shaped their career interest.

Unique Stephens, a senior at Cheyney University, took a biomedical research methods class that taught her lab skills such as growing cells in petri dishes. Now she uses them an intern at the Wistar Institute, a National Cancer Institute-designated research center ringed by the University of Pennsylvania.

When she took her first science class at her Philadelphia high school, Stephens had no background or exposure to science.

“It seemed far-fetched that someone from my limited science background would succeed in the field,” she said.

Stephens shared her story at the Council hearing reading from written testimony. Then she looked up with a smile and an update: The Wistar Institute recently offered her a full-time job when she graduates.

Staff writer Tom Avril contributed to this article.