While many companies are scaling back production operations around the world, Roche has seen its logistics and packaging operations in Switzerland grow by about 500 employees in recent years. To keep up with the need for trained employees for the operation, Roche says it will invest $105 million to build a new training center there.

The plant in Kaiseraugst in northern Switzerland handles quality control and drug packaging, and it currently has about 1,600 workers, according to Reuters. It has grown by 30% in the last 5 years. An article from Bilanz says Roche has already invested about SFr400 million ($423 million) in the Swiss plant and that the facility is currently training about 300 people in 14 "careers" to keep up with demand.

The piece says the SFr100 million training center will be a 12,000-square-meter, 5-story facility including lab and classrooms. The company will start work on the new facility in September and expects to have it complete in October 2014, Reuters reported. "The need for education and training opportunities for our employees is increasing," Matthias Baltisberger, head of Roche Basel-Kaiseraugst said in a statement.

Source: FiercePharma Manufacturing