The UK's Science Industry Partnership (SIP) is urging organisations not yet participating in the employer-led skills initiative to start the process in this new financial year, as co-funding available via the SIP pilot will end in March 2016.
The science industries’ £52m skills and talent initiative, facilitated by Cogent Skills, has surpassed 2,000 new people being trained as the initiative reaches its first anniversary this month.
A range of employers in the life sciences sector are now benefiting from Government investment for people development and training designed by and for employers in the sector.
Forty-five per cent of these learners are working in the life sciences sector, which includes pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, medical technology and consumer healthcare, and 55% in industrial sciences including chemicals, industrial biotechnology, polymers and advanced materials and coatings.
The total investment is made up of a Government contribution of £32.6m, with £20m from employers, alongside £31m employer in-kind contributions, including time and resources.
More than 260 companies have engaged with the SIP, undertaking recruitment, training and new talent development programmes co-funded through the partnership and delivered through Cogent Skills’ range of delivery services including apprenticeships, placements and training courses.
Pfizer, for example, has taken on its first ten apprentices through the SIP on the new Manufacturing and Laboratory Scientist frameworks.
Kate Barclay, Director of Drug Product Supply at Pfizer, said: 'So far the benefits have been around being able to select what elements we deliver on against the standard. We are able to choose the knowledge-based qualification suitable for candidates with varying entry levels, select relevant external environmental health and safety certification and also provide internal training with current expertise. This all gives credibility and benchmarking for the Apprenticeship across our industry.'
The new standards have also enabled Pfizer to act as a provider and deliver some of its own training on product quality, good laboratory practices and continuous improvement elements.
The combination of Government funding and employer contributions for the £52m investment pot is addressing the current skills gaps across the sector
Meanwhile, Maiher-Un-Nisa Khan, Operational Quality Officer at GlaxoSmithKline, has become a SIP Ambassador (pharma) to help 'break the stereotypes associated with working in science and show people young and old that working in science is not just white lab coats and safety glasses and to encourage more people to take up a career in science, proving that science is fun and rewarding'.
'I have now become aware of how to influence and encourage people who don’t necessarily agree with you,' she said.
Malcolm Skingle, Director, GSK and Chair of the SIP board, said the combination of Government funding and employer contributions for the £52m investment pot – alongside employer designed training courses and new talent services delivered by Cogent Skills – is addressing the current skills gaps and shortages across the sector and enabling businesses to innovate for the future of the UK’s science economy.
Linda Millett, Head of HR at Takeda Cambridge, said: 'Being part of the SIP enables us to engage with other like-minded organisations to exchange ideas, lobby key decision-makers and develop important programmes to deliver the skills and workforce we actually need as employers.
'It has provided valuable funding towards our training needs and enabled us to offer a broader training curriculum to a larger number of employees here at Takeda Cambridge, leading to an increased take-up of training internally and better awareness of the benefits of Higher Apprenticeships.
'The long-term benefits include provision of quality-assured training to more employees, raising awareness of different career pathways and encouraging more people into a career in science.'
