The UK Life Sciences industry is a world-leading, high-tech industry employing over 120,000 people and investing at least £4.6 billion in research and development (R&D) in the UK. It is a strong driver of economic growth, provides highly-skilled employment opportunities and, through the development of innovative medicines and medical technologies, contributes to the delivery of high-quality healthcare.
The UK’s strengths in Life Sciences are evident in the individual sectors that make up the industry: pharmaceutical, medical technology, and medical biotechnology sectors.
Within the UK Pharmaceuticals sector alone, the industry invests £5.3bn annually in research and development, which represents a quarter of all UK industry-supported R&D each year. The industry is supported by a workforce of highly skilled and educated professionals, 55% of which are trained at level 4 and above, accounting for over 70,000 UK jobs, and three times this in the supporting industries. It is expected by 2015, that this industry will be responsible for over £22bn in turnover annually.
 
However, over 75% of the existing pharmaceuticals workforce are aged 35 and above, leading to a potential recruitment crisis in the next 10 years as UK demographics show a decline in young entrants to the workforce.
Within the science sector, there has been a great emphasis on attracting young people to the sector, through the development of programmes to raise the profile of science careers, supported by qualifications pathways. However, these have primarily focussed on academic qualifications such as GCSEs, A levels and degrees that can lead to employment in the science based sector. Although the numbers studying science have increased, employers tell us clearly (through a number of mechanisms) that the quality of provision has suffered; this story is consolidated by higher education, at a time where financial resources directed towards expensive practical laboratory based subjects has not kept up with the demand of students.
This has resulted in a population of highly qualified graduates, which lack the practical skills that employers demand, seeking further training through post-graduate level courses or employment in the science based sector at levels below what is expected. Furthermore, graduates are expensive to recruit and train, and often leave industry as their expectations are not met.
The net effect is that the life science industry is reaching a point where it has to recruit over-qualified people or from outside the UK, and ultimately, may result in operations being shifted abroad where the skills needs can be met.
The industry has voiced its concern over the skills training, and is now seeking routes to more vocational professionally recognised technician training that support the life science industries.
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