Sir Alan Jones (Chair) Semta Bioscience launch, House of Lords 6th February 2008.
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.
If you like further information on this story, then please contact:
Icky Hasnain Semta T: 020 7 269 9844 M: 07872 377 638
E: ihasnain@semta.org.uk
Notes to Editors:
SEMTA: As a Sector Skills Council licensed by government, Semta is the employer-led organization at the heart of the skills agenda for Science, Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies in the UK. The sectors it represents are: Aerospace, Automotive, Bioscience, Electrical, Electronics, Maintenance, Marine, Mathematics, Mechanical, Metals and Engineered Metal Products and Science. Its role is to the raise skills levels and competitiveness in the 75,000 companies and 2 million-strong workforce that make up these sectors.
