1. RSC activities Professor Jim Iley CChem FRSC Director, Science and Education, RSC

2. Outline • Vocational qualifications • Industrial placements • Degree accreditation

3. Vocational qualifications

4. RSciTech and RSci • 450,000 technicians that will be needed by 2020 to underpin a growing innovation economy (Technician Council) • Two new registers from the Science Council: RSci and RSciTech • The RSC is one of 7 professional bodies to pilot the scheme – currently awaiting pilot licence

5. Current activities • revised membership categories will allow non-graduate applicants to join RSC membership • presentation and promotion of the new registers at the Laboratory Equipment Trade Show (Nottingham) • 6 months RSC project funded by the Gatsby Foundation • Sectors • Pharmaceutical, Chemical, Contract analysis services, Food & Drink, Materials, Energy, Water, Defence, Agriculture and Academia

6. RSC vocational qualification study OBJECTIVES • scale of non-graduates working in technical roles across various chemical sectors • identify current apprenticeships providers and the number of apprenticeship schemes in the chemical sciences • Identify the opportunities for future potential for vocational qualifications in chemical sciences via both apprenticeship schemes and university/college courses

7. Industrial placements

8. Industrial Placements • Chemistry World Jobs • Dedicated placement website • Free industrial placement advertisement for companies • Supported by HE STEM Programme

9. Industrial Placements • Industrial Placement Guide • Written by Robin Mellors-Bourne (Careers Research and Advisory Centre) • Aimed at potential host companies • Provides guidance and clarifies misconceptions about hosting industrial placements • Supported by the HE STEM Programme

10. RSC degree accreditation

11. RSC degree accreditation • Currently accredit >250 chemistry programmes at 40 universities • Emphasis on applying knowledge and solving problems • Aligned to academic requirements for Chartered Chemist • Output focussed • Peer review process • Criteria based on external reference points • QAA benchmark • Qualification frameworks • Two levels of accreditation • Bachelor • Master

12. Key requirements for accreditation • Breadth of chemistry • Depth of chemistry • Practical abilities • Research training • Professional skills • Robust and varied assessment • Adequate resources • Quality assurance • Suitable placement activity • Appropriate degree title