The Advanced Pharmaceutical Manufacturing (APM) Training Network is a public-private initiative to develop a world-class talent engine preparing a highly skilled workforce aligned with the needs of all Virginia biopharmaceutical employers.
Vision
Virginia’s APM Training Network will position the Commonwealth as the destination of choice for pharmaceutical manufacturing. The network will connect industry demand directly to education delivery, align training across partners through a shared talent framework, and deliver the skilled workforce needed to sustain current and future operations.
Statewide Impact
The Network is designed to serve all pharmaceutical manufacturers in Virginia by creating a shared, industry-aligned workforce pipeline that supports current operations, future growth, and long-term competitiveness. Rather than operating as a single facility, the Network is structured as a distributed model, with training delivered through a coordinated statewide system across the Richmond-Petersburg-Charlottesville-Harrisonburg corridor and the broader Commonwealth.
Partnership Model
The Network, originally announced as the Virginia Center for Advanced Pharmaceutical Manufacturing, was launched through a first-of-its-kind partnership among AstraZeneca, Eli Lilly, and Merck, Virginia’s higher education community, other industry partners, and the Commonwealth. Together, the industry partners committed $120 million to launch and scale the Network in support of the $12.5 billion in pharmaceutical manufacturing investments announced in Virginia in 2025.
Whether you’re an employer interested in workforce planning, an institution interested in participating in the Network, or a community partner, we want to hear from you.
Email us at APMtrainingnetwork@vedp.org.
Training Pipeline
The Network will build awareness of APM careers and strengthen the talent pipeline beginning in K–12. From there, the training continuum will span certificate programs through graduate-level education, helping align pathways, core competencies, and employer needs across the Commonwealth. Throughout that continuum, training will focus on foundational skills relevant across the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry rather than on proprietary processes specific to individual companies.
By standardizing training and scaling workforce capacity, the Network will strengthen Virginia’s ability to attract investment, support expansion, and sustain a competitive pharmaceutical manufacturing ecosystem. As that ecosystem grows, employers will benefit from a deeper and more specialized talent pool rather than competing for a limited workforce.