Medical device companies: Mass. Life Sciences Center provides $15,000 grant for veteran’s program

The medical device industry’s push to get more returning military veterans involved in med-tech is getting a boost from the Mass. Life Sciences Center.

The quasi-public agency responsible for promoting the life sciences industry in the Commonwealth is providing a $15,000 matching grant to support the program.

"The medical technology industry plays an important role in our life sciences super cluster in Massachusetts, and makes an important difference in the lives of our wounded veterans," MLSC president & CEO Susan Windham-Bannister said in a prepared release. "We are pleased to be hosting AdvaMed 2012, and to support AdvaMed’s MVP program with grant funding that will help to connect returning veterans with job opportunities in this important industry."

The MedTech Veterans Program’s "Boot Camp for Returning Heroes" is an on-boarding program for military veterans and wounded soldiers, sailors and Marines designed to ease their entry into medical device companies.

The AdvaMed program, unveiled at the MassDevice Big 100 Roundtable East last month, is slated to enroll its first class of about 25 vets this fall at the AdvaMed 2012 medical device conference in Boston.

The inaugural class will go through a 3-day boot camp and orientation program in October, where they’ll receive an overview of the medical device industry, tips on how to land jobs and internships at medical device companies and advice on workplace behavior, skill translation, resumés, interview techniques and career transition. The veterans will then be assigned mentors from the med-tech industry, who will assist in building a network of contacts. Special consideration will be given to veterans who’ve been injured in combat.

“This training program was created to thank our returning heroes for their incredible service to our country, giving them access to industry executives, HR representatives and mentors,” said AdvaMed president & CEO Stephen Ubl in prepared remarks. “Once they’ve gone through this intensive program, we believe our MVP Heroes will be strongly positioned for exciting and long-term careers in an innovative and growing industry.”

About 15 firms, including Abiomed (NSDQ:ABMD), Baxter (NYSE:BAX), Boston Scientific (NYSE:BSX), Covidien (NYSE:COV), Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) and Edwards Lifesciences (NYSE:EW) are backing the program. Many have ex-military members in leadership positions.