Addressing the Future Skills Needs of the
Biopharma-Pharmachem Sector in Ireland
John McGrath,
Skills and Labour Market Research Unit, FÁS
Expert Group on Future Skills Needs
Institutional Framework – the
reporting relationships
Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Innovation
Minister of Education and Skills
Expert Group on Future Skill Needs
Public Advisory Body for
Enterprise & Science
Sector Studies
Economic and
Social Research
Institute
Skills and Labour Market
Research Unit
Background
•Expert Group on Future Skills Needs
•Skills and Labour Market Research Unit – FÁS
•National Skills Database
•Outputs:
–National Skills Bulletin (annual since 2005)
–Monitoring Ireland’s Skills Supply (annual since 2006)
–Vacancy Overview (annual since 2011)
–Regional labour markets (annual report since 2011)
–Occupational employment forecasts (2010)
–Sectoral studies (e.g. financial, green, healthcare etc.)
–Input into policy documents (e.g. National Skills Strategy, Immigration etc.)
–Skills portal
–Future Skills Requirements of the Biopharma-Pharmachem Sector, EGFSN, Nov 2010
3
Study Objectives
Objectives:
• Identify structural trends and drivers of change that will impact on numbers employed
and skills requirements during 2010-2015
• Determine implications of those trends for employment, skills requirements, and
industry demand
• Assess whether the current skills supply framework can satisfy those requirements.
Steering Group Members
Brendan Murphy, CIT (Chair)
Margaret Cox, ICE Group
Dave Shanahan, IDA
Anita Maguire, UCC
Brian O’Neill, EI
Stephen Simpson, SFI
Eamonn Balmer, DETI
Jasmina Behan, FÁS
Ian Nelligan, NIBRT
Marie Bourke , Forfás
John Nason, Bristol Myers Squibb
Ailish Forde, Forfás
Michael O’Brien, Pfizer
Aisling Penrose, Forfás
Matt Moran, PharmaChemical Ireland
Michael Gillen, Irish Bioindustry
Association
Stakeholder consultations
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International Benchmarks
North Carolina
Switzerland
Singapore
Sector Profile
•
Exports: €42 billion (2009)
•
Employment: 25,300 (2009)
•
Indirect employment: 24,000 (2009)
•
Corporation tax contribution: > €1 billion (2008)
•
Highly skilled labour force – education attainment higher than national average
•
Workforce concentrated in 25-44 age group
•
Greater proportion of males than females in labour force – 60% male
7
Drivers of Change (industry interviews)
Figure 3: Value of Drugs Going Off Patent,
2007 – 2012
Cost
Competitiveness
Loss of Patent
Protection and
Rise of
Generics
Mergers &
Acquisitions
Regulation
Drivers
of
Change
Technological
Advances
Shrinking
Research
Pipeline
Biotechnology
Converging
Technologies
Changing
Global
Market
Response to Changing Market (Industry Interviews)
•
Importance of innovation and diversification
•
Integrating late stage development (process optimisation, scaling-up of existing
product, registration) with manufacturing and supply
•
Headquarter activities and commercial services
•
A partnership approach with health services
•
Move to personalised medicine and niche products including biologics, OTC products
•
Innovation in delivery mechanisms such as self-injecting pens
•
Converging products – IT, medical devices
•
Contract research and manufacturing
•
Increased efficiency and speed to market
Employment forecast 2010-2015
30,000
25,000
20,000
15,000
10,000
5,000
Actual
Projected
10
Change in occupational composition of the bio-pharma sector
1999-2010
11
Occupational Profile 2015
Operatives,
10%
Labourers,
5%
Managers,
20%
Sales, 3%
Services, 1%
Craft, 4%
Clerical, 7%
Professionals,
31%
Associate
professionals,
19%
Source: SLMRU, FÁS
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Graduates in Biopharma-Pharmachem
Subjects
Level 6/7 Graduates for
Biopharma-Pharmachem
Subjects, 2004-2008
Level 8 Graduates for
Biopharma-Pharmachem
Subjects, 2004-2008
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Postgraduate Award Types
Biopharma-Pharmachem Subjects 2007-2008
Postgraduate Award Types (Graduations) 2007-2008
500
450
400
451
350
438
300
250
2007
258
200
2008
233
150
100
90
50
110
0
PhDs
Masters
PG Certs/Dips
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Skills challenges broad thematic areas
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Science and Technology Skills Challenges
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Cross-Discipline Skills
Compliance
and Regulatory
Affairs
Green
Technologies
Cross
Discipline
Skills
Continuous
Manufacturing
17
Blended and
Converging
Skills
Business Skills
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Operative Skills
Flexibility
Upskill to
meet
industry
need
MultiDisciplinary
Skills
Operative
Skills
Teamworking
Transferable
Skills
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International Benchmarks – High level
Findings
Excellent industry-academia
collaboration
North Carolina
Switzerland
Singapore
Academia highly responsive
to industry through these links
Informatics, business and
soft skills embedded in S&T
programmes and seen as
critical future skills
requirements
PhD graduates play
leadership roles within R&D
and process development but
few in manufacturing roles.
Recommendations
Recommendation
Outcome
1.Strengthen business skills
-Embed in S&T programmes
-Student Work Placements
-Senior Management Leadership Programmes
-CPD to improve business skills in the workforce
(Responsibility: HEA, HEIs, PCI, IBIA, EI, IDA, Skillnets)
Allow sector to develop and compete
internationally
2. Align education and training provision with Industry requirements
-Ensure provision reflects industry practice
-Embed informatics, bioinformatics, business and generic skills in S&T
programmes
-Ongoing CPD for the workforce
(Responsibility: HEA, HEIs, PCI, IBIA, EI, IDA, FÁS, VECs, NIBRT, Skillnets)
Address new skills requirements of
changing industry
3. Enhance industry-academia collaboration
-Formal industry involvement in programme design, revision, delivery
-Promotion of sabbaticals for HEI staff
-Industry collaboration criterion for HEI programme funding
-International collaboration
(Responsibility: HEA, HEIs, NIBRT, SFI)
Ensure graduates are equipped with
skills required by industry
4. Develop structured postgraduate programmes
(Responsibility: HEA, HEIs)
Develop world-class researchers with
good business acumen
5. Develop standardised student work placements
(Responsibility: HEA, HEIs)
Develop workplace knowledge and
areas where industry has expertise
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Recommendations Cont’d
Recommendation
Outcome
6. Provide the Pharmachem sector with
dedicated research and training
-Horizon scanning of environment
-Research and training provision
(Responsibility: IDA, SFI, HEIs, HEA, PCI)
Address the strategic development of the
Pharmachem sector
7. Develop an operative upskilling programme
-NFQ level 6/7 programmes
-Funding by industry, state agencies, HEA and
individuals
-Flexible delivery modes
(Responsibility: Skillnets, FÁS, HEIs)
Align operative skills with industry requirements
and enhance employability
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www.skillsireland.ie
John McGrath
Skills and Labour Market Research Unit, FÁS
01 607 7431
JohnMcGrath@fas.ie