WILMINGTON, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Pharmaceutical Product Development, LLC (PPD) today announced its launch of a clinical research associates (CRAs) apprenticeship program targeted to military veterans and military service members with medical backgrounds who are transitioning to the civilian workforce. PPD’s initiative, the first CRA apprenticeship program registered with the U.S. Department of Labor, will begin in North Carolina, Texas and California in the first quarter of this year.
“As a veteran who transitioned to the civilian workforce, I understand the need to provide viable career opportunities to those who have served,” said William Sharbaugh, chief operating officer of PPD. “Our industry-first CRA apprenticeship program recognizes the skills of veterans and transitioning service members with medical backgrounds who, through their service, have developed the requisite skills of leadership and who are motivated to join us in helping deliver life-changing medicines.”
PPD’s 12-month program, which provides training through PPD’s award-winning CRA academy and on-the-job learning, is designed to give participants the foundation to be qualified and successful CRAs. The competency-based program provides exposure to three clinical roles, allowing apprentices to build on what they’ve learned and gradually integrate into the contract research industry.
“PPD recognizes the need for highly skilled professionals to ensure the quality of clinical trials,” said Ed Murray, executive vice president and chief human resources officer of PPD. “With this program, PPD addresses one of the immediate needs of military veterans and personnel transitioning to civilian careers, while addressing a clear need to expand the talent pool of CRAs for the conduct of clinical research.”
NCWorks, the North Carolina approving agency for the U.S. Department of Labor, and the Office of Apprenticeship in California and in Texas approved PPD’s application to make the role of clinical research associate (clinical documentation improvement specialist) a recognized occupation for registered apprenticeship programs.
PPD is responsible for the coordination, administrative processes and all programming aspects, including recruitment and marketing, of the apprenticeship. In establishing the program, PPD draws on decades of experience in recruiting and developing CRAs. In 2016 PPD won the Outstanding Training Initiative Award for its Virtual Clinical Foundations Program 2.0, which prepares CRAs for success in monitoring clinical trials.
About PPD
PPD is a leading global contract research organization providing comprehensive, integrated drug development, laboratory and lifecycle management services. Our clients and partners include pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, academic and government organizations. With offices in 47 countries and more than 18,500 professionals worldwide, PPD applies innovative technologies, therapeutic expertise and a firm commitment to quality to help clients and partners bend the cost and time curve of drug development to deliver life-changing therapies that improve health. For more information, visit www.ppdi.com.
Forward-Looking Statement
Except for historical information, all of the statements, expectations and assumptions, including statements, expectations and assumptions about PPD’s recruitment and talent-development programs contained in this news release are forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Although PPD attempts to be accurate in making these forward-looking statements, it is possible that future circumstances might differ from the assumptions on which such statements are based and could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. Other important factors that could cause future results to differ materially include the following: the ability to attract, integrate, retain and train key personnel; rapid technological advances that make our services or capabilities less competitive; competition in the outsourcing industry; PPD’s ability to win new business; overall global economic conditions; economic conditions, research and development spending, and outsourcing trends in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and government-sponsored research sectors; loss, delay or modification of large contracts; higher-than-expected cancellation rates; the rate of conversion of backlog into revenue; risks associated with and dependence on strategic relationships; risks associated with acquisitions and investments; the ability to control SG&A spending; compliance with drug development regulations; changes in the regulation of the drug development process; consolidation in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries; and actual operating performance. PPD assumes no obligation and expressly disclaims any duty to update these forward-looking statements in the future, except as required by applicable law. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing PPD’s estimates or views as of any date subsequent to the date hereof.
