The agreement sets the stage for allowing students to take four years of coursework for biotechnology programs at the Montgomery College-Germantown Campus but earn a bachelor's degree in life sciences from the University of Maryland. The Universities at Shady Grove in Rockville, run by the University of Maryland, would provide services for students in the program.

"This is a dream come true," said Montgomery College President Charlene R. Nunley.

Officials touted the new arrangement as both a convenient way for Montgomery County residents to earn life sciences degrees and an incentive for those already in the Montgomery County biotech industry to bring new skills back to their companies without ever leaving the area.

"It's going to be a tremendous success. There's no doubt about it," said Henry Bernstein, deputy director of the Montgomery County Department of Economic Development.

Michael W. Burgett, vice president of North American operations for Qiagen, a Dutch biotechnology company, said he foresees finding more trained people in Montgomery County as a result of the new program.

"We will be able to increase our applicant pool," said Burgett, who works at the company's research and development facility in Germantown.

Burgett also cited the benefit to existing employees who can do a full day's work and still have time to go to class. A degree would allow them to move into more highly skilled jobs within the company, he said. Like many biotechs, Qiagen covers the cost of tuition and books for employees taking relevant courses.

Two employees in the quality control department have received master's degrees at the Universities at Shady Grove, Burgett said. Other employees participated in a program at Montgomery College teaching basic business skills.

The college already has agreements with Hood College in Frederick and the University of Maryland University College to allow students to transfer credits between the schools, said Collins Jones, biotechnology coordinator at Montgomery College. The agreement with the University of Maryland, College Park, would presumably lead to a similar relationship with that university.

Jones, who trains students entering the biotech workforce, said he has gotten about 100 students jobs at local biotechs since he came to the school about six years ago. The students he places overwhelmingly end up staying at the companies, which he called a significant accomplishment in an industry that struggles with retention. Only two of the students have been fired.

Jones regularly fields calls from industry seeking recruits, but he does not have enough students to meet the demand, he said. At least half of the student population is from other countries and many do not have visas to work.

Recruiting students who are able to enter the workforce has been an ongoing challenge, he said. The new agreement could potentially bring more of these students to the college.

This report originally appeared in The Business Gazette.