09 Apr 2013
An outline bid for a Science Industry Partnership (SIP) was registered by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and submitted to the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES) in line with the 28th March deadline.
This would see a newly formed Science Industry Partnership (SIP) commissioning co-invested skills solutions, aimed at ensuring the UK has the scientists of the future.
The decision on the outline bid will be given by UKCES sometime in July 2013. If successful, a full bid will need to be developed and submitted by October 2013. Government will decide if it wants to invest in the proposal in January 2014 and delivery is expected to take place from April 2014.
In order to prepare a sufficiently solid business case for the full bid, Cogent will co-ordinate a more detailed proposal with employers from April 2013.
The proposed Science Industry Partnership has already signed up around 50 employers: some of the first to become engaged include GlaxoSmithKline, Pfizer, UCB, Johnson and Johnson, Amgen, MedImmune, Fujifilm Diosynth, Ineos, Takeda Cambridge, Pentagon Chemicals, Lotte Chemical UK, SABIC UK Petrochemicals, Chemoxy International, Huntsman Polyurethanes, HellermannTyton, Mexichem Fluor, Simon Storage Ltd and Victrex.
The Science Industry Partnership will provide employer leadership on skills, including into the SME supply chain. It is also aimed at boosting skills transferability so essential in a fast changing environment. The SIP will provide a means for joint investment by companies and government, maximising focus where skills are needed and delivering an even better return on investment. It will underpin much needed economic growth.
The proposed priority skills programmes for the SIP are likely to focus on:
- STEM Careers: a cross-sectoral proposal to attract young people into important STEM jobs, working in collaboration with other appropriate Industrial Partnerships.
- SMART Traineeships: a new development programme for individuals interested in a science- based career, but not yet ready for full employment.
- SMART Apprenticeships: a new, simple employer-owned system delivering more effective, work-ready apprentices.
- Science Industry Graduates: a radical new approach to graduate development, focused on the needs of employers.
- Modular Masters Programmes: a new mechanism to build on the skills acquired at graduate level and develop further specialisms in emerging technologies.
- Science Industry Technicians: this would see current employees receiving Science Industry Partnership Awards for achievement of occupational competence.
…and establishing even stronger collaboration between industry and education.
If you believe your organisation would benefit from the solutions proposed, the Partnership would be keen to work collaboratively with you.
The employers who have signed up are very interested in ideas too - in the first instance they can provide feedback through an online survey https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/IP2013
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