Facilitating Independence, Skill and Competency
The beating heart of a laboratory is its people. Our focus on workforce development supports not only skills and competencies acquisition but also strategies to attract and retain quality laboratory staff. We do this by:
- Implementing training and mentoring programs customized for the environment.
- Developing or improving standardized operating procedures tailored to the lab.
- Designing measurement and evaluation tools with a focus on improvement over time.
- Collaborating with laboratory management on strategies for growing a culture of quality and continuous learning.
Stories and Partnerships
Global Health and Biosecurity
Human behavior is the biggest risk factor for biosafety. In biocontainment laboratories comprehensive biosafety training is especially critical to reduce the potential for human error.
ASM’s 52 Weeks of Biosafety Program delivers practical, in-person sessions and online workshops facilitated by an ASM biosecurity consultant, fostering behavioral and technical competencies that mitigate this risk.
We partner with funders and laboratories, in countries in Africa, South Asia and, most recently, the Americas, to build skills to properly manage specimens.
We recently coproduced 2 videos with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to help laboratorians work with arbovirus specimens.
Our °®¶¹´«Ã½ Mentorship Package translates knowledge into practice, giving microbiologists the tools they need to apply complex decision-making techniques and technical skills in their laboratory practice. We have customized this 5-day workshop for more than a dozen countries.
We are a (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) partner, connecting laboratories in remote locations to one another, and to more centralized laboratory hubs.
- Technological connection allows trainers to reach participants in their home laboratories.
- Eliminates the need for travel.
- ECHO curriculum incorporates case presentations, lively discussion and collaborative problem-solving.
- Fosters human connection.
The program incubates and strengthens bonds among laboratories, creating a network of mutual learning and support that lasts long beyond the end of the program.
