Bio firm to support students at third level

A multinational biotechnology giant is to provide annual scholarships to support two Leaving Certificate students from a school in Waterford under a new partnership.

Details of the link-up between Genzyme and Mount Sion CBS secondary school were announced yesterday and include five, transition-year work-experience slots at the company.

Genzyme, owned by the Sanofi multinational, employs more than 550 people at its €500m biotechnology campus in Waterford City.

Under the partnership, the company will provide annual scholarships to support two students making their Leaving Certificate through three years of third-level education.

Five of the school’s transition-year students will spend time each week at Genzyme during the school year to experience working life across various areas of the hi-tech facility.

Genzyme supplies products to patients in more than 70 countries from its Waterford base.