UK Bioscience Industry pledges to ‘grow it's
own’ scientists to avert staffing crisis
- 39% of bioscience/pharmaceutical companies cannot fill key
posts -
- Supply of foreign bioscience talent drying up –
- Top companies propose overhaul of ‘skills standards’ to tackle
decline in science talent pool
Research by Semta (Sector Skills Council for
Engineering, Manufacturing & Technology) has revealed that two
out of five UK bioscience companies have hard-to-fill vacancies and
one in five organisations admit skills gaps in their current
workforce.
There are concerns that the skills gap will lead to the loss of
Britain’s status as one of the world’s leading centres for
bioscience research and development. UK bioscience revenues alone
are worth £3.3bn per annum and the sector employs 55,000
people.
According to the research, 29% of companies have skills gaps;
most often these are at the higher levels, among laboratory
scientists, senior scientists, senior researchers, science managers
and other managers. 39% of bioscience/pharmaceutical companies have
hard to fill vacancies with 22% being due to the skills shortages
in the science arena. This is four times greater than other
sectors. 27% say they cannot expand because they lack skilled
people.
In addition, one in four companies in the UK is now employing
overseas scientists to meet demand, particularly from India,
Eastern Europe and Malaysia. But there are concerns that this
supply is ‘drying up’ due to domestic demand and the increasing
complexity in obtaining a work visa for the UK.
According to a joint review undertaken by Semta and 170
bioscience and pharmaceutical companies, existing competency
standards are no longer fit for purpose. They are too generic to
suit today’s laboratory environments and more detail is needed,
along with a greater number in a wider range of disciplines, in
order to accommodate the diversity and complexity of a modern
science laboratory.
In response to the skills shortfall AstraZenica, Novartis,
Pfizer, 3M Healthcare, Eden Biodesign and Avecia, working with the
skills council Semta, have produced an industry standard set of
competencies that form the basis for job design, recruitment,
training and performance assessment. The new standards will also
provide a framework for organisations to fill key vacancies by
up-skilling their current bioscience workforce.
Lynn Tomkins, Director of Policy at Semta said:
“These companies have recognised the scale of the problem and
have joined forces as a first step in safeguarding the future of
science jobs in the UK by allowing us to ‘grow’ a new generation of
science professionals. However, small company evaluation of these
new standards is critical. It is essential for the sector as a
whole that as many opinions as possible are represented when these
standards are finalised. We will be working with government and
other strategic partners about new strategies to reduce current
laboratory skills gaps and shortages.”
Richard Dennett, Head of Consultancy Services of Eden BioDesign,
said:
“These new standards are the key to obtaining and holding on to
the new young people we need. Not only will they provide practical
criteria for training industrial placement students, apprentices
and new graduates, they will also help our current staff to be the
best they can be. By honing and enhancing their talent, all staff
will have more gainful employment in the UK biotech sector and be
able to further develop their careers.”
An Action Plan for the pharmaceutical and bioscience industry
will be unveiled on Wednesday 6th November at the House of Lords.
The launch will be hosted by Baroness Wall, and speakers will
include Sir Alan Jones, Chairman of Semta, and Secretary of State
for Innovation, Universities and Skills Rt. Hon. John Denham
MP.
- Ends -
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