The program is targeted to military veterans and military service members with medical backgrounds transitioning to the civilian workforce.
According to Pharmaceutical Product Development, LLC (PPD), the program is the first CRA apprenticeship program registered with the US Department of Labor.
The twelve-month program will begin in the first quarter of this year at sites in North Carolina, California, and Texas.
The competency-based program provides training through the PPD's CRA academy and exposes participants to three clinical roles.
As Outsourcing-Pharma.com previously reported, competence and staff engagement have led to high turnover rates among clinical research associates. According to one report, US turnover in clinical monitoring reached 25.1% in 2015.
PPD’s application to make the CRA roll a recognized occupation for registered apprenticeship programs was approved by NCWorks, the North Carolina approving agency for the US Department of Labor, and the Office of Apprenticeship in California and in Texas.
The global contract research organization's (CRO) will be responsible for the coordination, administrative processes, and all programming aspects of the apprenticeship program.
"The quality of training in the military is very strong. Combined with discipline and process focus, military veterans with medical experience are an excellent fit for CROs," Ed Murray, executive vice president and chief human resource officer for PPD, told Outsourcing-Pharma.com.
"Creating this apprenticeship will increase the pipeline of successful professionals in the CRA talent pool as PPD continues its focus on building industry-leading talent and on aligning with our clients’ important work of bringing life-changing therapies to market."