Industry and government made bold steps towards tackling the growing skills gaps in the pharmaceutical and other process industry sectors with the official launch of its own National Skills Academy.
Backed by a multi-million pound government-training budget and £1m from the pharmaceutical industry, the National Skills Academy Process Industries will engage with companies and educational providers to deliver a network of skills for the pharmaceutical industry.
Craig Crowther, chief executive of the National Skills academy Process Industries told Manufacturing Chemist, "Our whole delivery model is based on having an established centre at Teesside University. Our programmes will be delivered through a network of providers, and we will look for centres of excellence - be it in pharmaceuticals, in chemicals or in polymers right throughout the UK to achieve this."
The process industry employs over 420,000 people in the UK and contributes £23bn in added value to the economy. The Academy is committed to training 1,000 people in its first year of operation.
And nowhere is this more needed than in recruiting skilled laboratory technicians, manufacturing and processing support within the pharmaceutical sector, says Crowther."People tend to think the pharmaceutical sector attracts only graduates but in a lot of manufacturing instances, that is not the case," he said.
He points to the rapid regulatory changes that have occurred in that area and the serious compliance challenges these changes have on companies if they are not supported by a skilled workforce.
As a result, the Academy aims to develop apprenticeship programmes designed to encourage school leavers with GCSEs and A-levels to pursue careers in the sector. Programmes will be rolled out from June this year with a further launch planned for the south of the country in 2009.
Crowther said: 'The composition of this sector has changed greatly in the last 20 years, and 70% of its future workforce is currently in employment. Hence we need to accredit their existing skills, and upskill to even higher standards, whilst also broadening the range of new entrants to the sector.'
The launch received the backing of Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills John Denham MP and Parliamentary under Secretary of State for Skills David Lammy MP, and included words of support from entrepreneur Duncan Bannatyne who is a panellist on Dragon's Den.
Speaking at the event held at Central Hall, Westminster, Lammy said: 'When we are talking about the process industries we are talking about a fundamental sector in our economy. This sector does in invest in skills training; it invested £800m in 2006, and we want to value that work and accredit it. We also need to tie into schools and promote the opportunities that exist in this sector, and increase the level of apprenticeships so more young people enter this industry in the next decade.'
Pharmaceutical industry support has come from a series of companies including Aescia Pharmaceuticals, The Chemical Industries Association and Avecia Biologics and Lundbeck Pharmaceuticals.
The Academy moves into new premises at the University of Teesside on Monday (4 February).