Meryl Oh Xing Wei graduated from the Diploma in Pharmaceutical Science at Temasek Polytechnic. After graduation, she was offered a temporary job at her internship company Lonza where she worked for a few months. She then decided to upskill and apply for the Local Biologics Skills Training programme, also known as BOOST. The programme aims to build skills for workers required in the biologics manufacturing industry. The BOOST programme lasts for 24 months, consisting of 3 months of facilitated classroom training, attaining a Workforce Skills Qualification (WSQ) higher certificate in Process Technology (Biologics Manufacturing) and a 21-month structured On-The-Job (OJT) Training.

Her BOOST enrolment brought her to her current position at AbbVie, a local start-up pharmaceutical company that develops and markets both biopharmaceuticals and small molecule drugs.

Meryl thoroughly enjoys the challenges of working at a start-up as she is involved in the different aspects of the business, and is able to give her input on how to refine the systems. She takes pride in everything that she does, from the administrative aspect to working on the manufacturing floor. She finds great fulfilment in being part of the company at this phase of its development. Keenly aware of the importance of every step in the product development process, Meryl knows that each step contributes to making an impeccable product which will impact lives.

The diploma course at the School of Applied Science prepared her for the industry by equipping her with critical knowledge and skills required for the job. For example, she learned how to operate various instruments such as chromatographs. This can be applied in the biopharmaceutical industry as chromatography is a crucial process in the purification of the product. Hence, she has a better understanding of the industry processes and was able to add value immediately to the company.

Meryl will graduate from the BOOST programme in 2018. We wish her all the best!