impact
The SIP believes the skills needs of the future will be driven by the adoption of these new technologies , combined with underpinning core science skills . Without doubt , data science in its widest sense and effective data mining are now a critically important Key Enabling Technology across the life sciences sector . PwC ’ s Global Data and Analytics Survey 2016 ( Big Decisions™ ) saw more than 2,100 executives surveyed on the topic ( including many from the health industries ). Two-thirds ( 61 %) acknowledge their companies should rely on data analysis more and intuition less . Highly data-driven companies are significantly changing how they make decisions , improve operations , or use analytics to deliver products and services .
RED LIST OCCUPATIONS The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry ( ABPI ) report Bridging The Skills Gap In The Biopharmaceutical Industry also gives further evidence to support these developments . It notes that an increasing proportion of new medicines are biologics rather than chemicallyprocessed small molecule medicines , and new medicines are now more likely to have been created following the vigilant mining of data .
Organisations that understand how to manage and analyse Big Data relevant to their products , to their markets , and to their customers and patients , will gain the insights required to innovate and provide personalised approaches .
Through extensive consultation and analysis , the SIP has identified a red list of shortage occupations , requiring immediate action to increase
First ( 1784 ) Mechanical production , railroads , and steam power the availability of people with these skills in the labour market . These include informaticians , data and computational scientists ( and in particular bioinformaticians ), and formulation scientists .
Alongside the requirement for greater computational skills comes a general need for improved quantitative skills , and the mathematical and statistical techniques needed for accurate analysis and interpretation of data . The ability to understand and apply new research increasingly depends on an appreciation of the underlying models and statistics .
We also know that industry access to electronic health record data ( EHR ) will support the sector in making medical advances , allowing skilled researchers to track the impact of therapies on patients over the long term and improving patient care in both the public and private sectors more generally .
We recognise that for this to happen , the NHS and industry need to work together to share best practice and encourage the flow of staff between public and private sectors , and this is an area the SIP is progressing .
The SIP has also recognised that if educational institutions , employers , and individuals aren ’ t keeping up with these changes , the workforce will be left behind . We are making it a priority to better understand these gaps and deliver solutions that close them .
SKILLS DRIVERS These skills drivers and the changing shape of the industry have seen the sector revise its approach to talent in recent times . Over the last few years we have seen an increase in both practical
THE FOUR INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTIONS
Second ( 1870 ) Mass production , electrical power , and the advent of the assembly line
Third ( 1969 ) Automated production , electronics , and computers
Fourth ( Now ) Artificial intelligence , big data , robotics , and more to come
Data science is a critically important Key Enabling Technology across life science
Graduate Internships and now Apprenticeships across the sciencebased industries . Subsequently we are now increasingly using this approach at an even higher level – and that means Degree Apprenticeships .
We need to equip our incoming new talent with the highly practical skills to be able to quickly step in to a range of science occupations . To this end the proposed Bioinformatics Scientist Apprenticeship Standard at Level 7 ( Degree Level ) is under development by the SIP .
Degree Apprenticeships combine work , on-the-job learning and funded part-time university education . This new programme will comprise a combination of mentored workplace learning , practical experience and separate study , and will lead to a university degree .
Explicit within this new route is the recognition of skills shortages , the need for a high level of training and education , and the opportunity to give students multi-faceted expertise in the
66 | UKSPA breakthrough | Summer 2017