We promote careers in biotech and innovative life sciences to students, encourage the use of apprenticeships within our sector, and work to ensure the future of life sciences is diverse and equipped with all the talent and skills it needs.
Here are some of the projects and efforts we are leading to secure the future skills of the life sciences sector:
#BIGIMPACT Campaign
#BIGIMPACT
#BIGIMPACT exists to connect the best digital talent with the UK’s most innovative biotech and life science companies. Our industry needs digital talent, it is important for everyone to work together to attract talent to our sector. Visit our website to download our media pack, or contact us if you want to offer industry placements to students.
Social Media
Reaching younger audiences is vital for our efforts of attracting fresh new digital and computational talent into our sector. The #BIGIMPACT campaign works through social media channels to get our message out there - biotech is an exciting industry where you can have a #BIGIMPACT.
If you have access to any student networks, consider sharing our Instagram page with them.
Apprenticeships
Apprenticeships in Leadership and Management
Apprenticeships have undergone significant reform over the last few years and, in particular, can be used to develop leadership and management skills within the existing workforce as well as bring in new talent to the sector.
Apprenticeships can be used to develop leadership and management skills within the existing workforce as well as bring in new talent to the sector. Leadership apprenticeships are open to anyone from a range of backgrounds including graduate, postgraduate and st-doctoral scientists.
Apprenticeship Levy
There are funding opportunities to support the development of these leadership skills across all levels within a company. Funding for the training and assessment can be through your apprenticeship levy if you have a wage bill over £3 million, or co-investment of up to 95% from the UK Government.
Leadership apprenticeships are open to anyone from a range of backgrounds including graduate, postgraduate and postdoctoral scientists. They range in duration from 12 months to up to 3 years with the common commitment to 20% of the employee's time being used for ‘off-the-job’ study.
Advanced Therapies Apprenticeship Community (ATAC)
Following the Advanced Therapies Manufacturing Action Plan, ATAC was established to develop apprenticeship programmes designed specifically to train and upskill individuals to develop, manufacture and deliver advanced therapies, vaccines and biologics at scale.
The programme currently supports over 230 apprentices from 45 organisations across science, digital, engineering and leadership disciplines addressing critical skills gaps in our sector. BIA Manufacturing Advisory Committee (MAC) supports this programme, coordinated by the CGT Catapult.
Diversity in Future Talent
STEM Scholars Programme
Johnson & Johnson launched an innovative new programme in the UK to help drive a more diverse health care workforce and ensure that all young people have equal opportunities to pursue a career in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).
