Enhancing Life Science Industry Through Apprenticeships
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Exploring the benefits, challenges, and recommendations for implementing apprenticeship programs in the Life Science Industry to address skills gaps, increase retention, and offer clear pathways for progression.
Enhancing Life Science Industry Through Apprenticeships
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Presentation Transcript
Apprenticeship Working Group John Holton
Apprenticeship Working Group • The Life Science Industry provides high-quality jobs and highly skilled and technical roles, but the minimum entry qualification is currently perceived to be at a graduate level. • However this is model is not always supplying the ‘right people’ with the ‘right skills’ and keeping them • Industry often has to supplement a significant investment to ensure they are ‘work ready’
Apprenticeship Working Group Apprenticeship benefits for Industry: • Funding and Incentives for Employers for some Apprenticeships • Filling Skills Gaps • Increased Retention • Increased Diversification • Clear Pathways and Progression
Apprenticeship Working Group – the issues • A large pool of graduates • Lack of clarity and awareness over Apprenticeships as a whole – including the current Level 2 and Level 3, and even the new Higher Apprenticeship for Life Sciences. • Not valuing this as an alternative route • Lack of local provision • Poor appreciation of how Apprenticeships fit within the business needs • Difficulty in seeing the progression routes for the Apprentice into other roles within the organisation • The level of Apprenticeship was not always deemed appropriate for companies entry route • Lack of internal support resources for SMEs • Concern over increasing headcount • Lack of understanding about how to recruit an Apprentice.
Apprenticeship Working Group – current situation • High Level Apprenticeship in Life Sciences • contains a Foundation Degree in Biotechnology • knowledge delivered by the University of Kent through distance learning • Advance Apprenticeship in Laboratory Science • general qualification • Intermediate Apprenticeship in Laboratory Science • general qualification
Apprenticeship Working Group – recommendations • Embed the Apprenticeship model within Life Sciences Industries • Map current provision against employer needs and identify good practice • Develop alternative apprenticeship models to include HNDs and other Foundation Degrees • Develop an awareness raising campaign to inspire employer ownership and support particularly SMEs • Run pilot initiatives in the South East, East of England and the North West
Apprenticeship Working Group - anticipated outcomes • A marketable alternative pathway for entry into the industry other than graduate and post graduate entry • An understanding of where we are best placed to leverage the limited resources • Create an initial cohort of Life Science Apprenticeships • Promotional campaign for industry and learners • to understand the apprenticeship model • to raise awareness of the benefits (USP)