Empowering the Future: Addressing Workforce Needs in Cell and Gene Therapy

Industry Challenge and Future Preparation

The primary challenge for the Cell and Gene Therapy industry is to scale up production capacity to meet increasing health demands. This requires embracing digitalisation and automation at established manufacturing centres. The UK’s life sciences sector, as highlighted by the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult’s Manufacturing Survey 2024 and the Skills Demand Report 2023, is on a growth trajectory. Employment in the sector is projected to rise from 6,232 in 2023 to 10,161 by 2028.

The Importance of Foresighting

Foresighting is crucial for anticipating future needs and preparing the workforce accordingly. Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult has spearheaded a detailed foresighting cycle, involving 22 organisations, to address critical skills and capability risks. This collaborative effort aims to integrate new technologies and methodologies, ensuring the UK remains a leader in advanced therapies.

Who Was Involved?

The report is a result of collaboration between the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult’s Skills team, industry experts, technologists, and academia. This collective effort has identified over 130 capabilities essential for digitisation and automation, supported by data on Knowledge, Skills, and Behaviours (KSB), Functions, and Supply chain distributions.

It was a pleasure to participate in the Foresighting workshops, and this report is the culmination of deep critical thinking from industry, technology experts and educators on future workforce needs, carefully considering automation, digitisation, and human capabilities. At the University of Hertfordshire, the findings from this report, notably the future occupation profiles, shall shape our curriculum and course portfolio to ensure we provide programmes that address the evolving needs of employers and learners. To achieve this, collaboration across education providers and the co-creation of curriculum with industry is essential. We look forward to working in partnership with those involved in this cycle to jointly deliver the recommendations and actions set-out in this report.

Professor Kate Asante, Professor of Skills and Innovation and Director of Lifelong Learning and Employment at the University of Hertfordshire

Key Highlights from the Report

• Workforce Growth and Skills Demand: The sector has seen significant workforce growth, with an additional 3,929 people expected by 2028. This growth underscores the need for increased manufacturing flexibility and capacity planning.
• Disparity in Future Occupational Profiles: The report highlights a significant disparity between the future state and current provision, with most future occupational profiles requiring immediate and substantial action. This gap signals the need for updated educational provisions to prepare the workforce for anticipated changes.
• Critical Areas Requiring Attention: The report identifies several critical areas where the current standards fall short. Approximately 32% of the identified capabilities are not supported by existing education provisions, and there is a significant mismatch between current standards and future role requirements.

Recommended Next Steps

1. Establish a Working Group: Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult will establish a working group to create an action plan, continuing through the Skills Value Chain. This involves sharing findings with stakeholders, industry groups, and local skills bodies to encourage participation.
2. Collaborate with Educators: Working closely with the University of Hertfordshire and other education providers, the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult will support the development of new qualifications and short courses. This includes reviewing apprenticeship standards with Skills England to ensure they address the sector’s challenges.
3. Engage with Foresighting Cycles: Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult will engage with other completed foresighting cycles to identify collaboration opportunities. Continuous input from technologists and regulators is essential to address skills gaps across the supply chain.
4. Update Training Frameworks: The report recommends updating training frameworks and curricula to align with emerging industry needs. This includes regular updates to training programmes and incorporating new technologies and methodologies.
5. Future cycles: Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult will be exploring additional cycles to further address and support the evolving needs within the industry.

Conclusion

The Cell and Gene Therapy sector must address the identified skills gaps to navigate future challenges effectively. This requires a coordinated effort across various sectors to update and refine educational and training standards continually. The recommendations in this report emphasise the importance of immediate and coordinated efforts by educators, employers, and other stakeholders to address the anticipated skills gap in the Cell and Gene Therapy sector. By doing so, the UK can maintain its leading position in advanced therapies and ensure a thriving future for the industry.