Richmond, BC — June 22, 2026 — The Canadian Alliance for Skills and Training in Life Sciences (CASTL) has been named Life Sciences BC’s 2026 Strategic Partner of the Year, recognizing the organization’s significant and sustained contribution to British Columbia’s life sciences sector.
The Strategic Partner of the Year award acknowledges an organization that has contributed to the success of companies active in BC’s life sciences sector and demonstrated meaningful impact through collaboration and direct support within the province.
Award winners will be honoured at the Life Sciences BC Awards Gala on September 9, 2026, at the Vancouver Convention Centre West. The annual event brings together leaders from across the sector for an evening of recognition and connection.
CASTL was recognized for its role in strengthening one of the sector’s most critical success factors: a skilled, job-ready workforce. Through its BC Biomanufacturing Training Facility on the BCIT campus in Richmond, CASTL delivers hands-on, industry-informed training that helps life sciences employers build the technical talent and workforce capability needed to grow.
Since opening its Richmond facility in January 2025, CASTL has trained nearly 400 individuals in BC and partnered with organizations across the provincial ecosystem, including post-secondary institutions, industry employers, non-profit organizations, government, and suppliers. CASTL’s work in BC includes hands-on training, customized workforce development, reskilling pathways, work-integrated learning, onboarding support, and learning and development services.
“Being named Life Sciences BC’s Strategic Partner of the Year is a tremendous honour and a reflection of the collective effort behind CASTL’s work in British Columbia,” said CASTL CEO Penny Walsh. “Our mission is to help build the skilled workforce Canada’s life sciences sector needs to thrive. This recognition speaks to the strength of our partnerships in BC and to the impact that practical, industry-informed training can have for employers, workers, and the broader ecosystem.”
CASTL’s BC impact includes collaborations with companies such as AbCellera, where training supported employee preparation for work in a new world-class manufacturing environment. CASTL has also partnered with BC post-secondary institutions, including BCIT and UBC, to expand access to training and strengthen the province’s talent development infrastructure.
In addition to direct training delivery, CASTL supports organizations through learning and development services that help improve onboarding, identify skill gaps, strengthen knowledge transfer, support succession planning, and build long-term workforce capability.
CASTL extends its thanks to Life Sciences BC for this recognition, as well as to its partners, funders, trainees, instructors, and team members whose efforts continue to support the growth and competitiveness of British Columbia’s life sciences sector.
Learn more about CASTL’s on-demand short courses, customized training, learning and development support services, and the CASTL BC Reskilling program.
About CASTL
The Canadian Alliance for Skills and Training in Life Sciences (CASTL) is Canada’s biomanufacturing training partner, dedicated to developing skilled talent to drive the country’s thriving biomanufacturing sector. With state-of-the-art, GMP-simulated facilities from coast to coast (in Charlottetown, PE; Montreal QC, and Vancouver, BC), CASTL delivers hands-on, industry-informed training alongside flexible online learning. As Canada’s exclusive provider of National Institute for Biomanufacturing Research and Training (NIBRT) programs, CASTL offers world-class education with support from adMare BioInnovations and its adMare Academy, shaping the next generation of life sciences professionals.
Media Contact
Heidi Reinblatt
Director of Marketing and Communications
CASTL
heidi@castlcanada.ca