Beyond the Advanced Therapies Skills Training Network: An Instrumental Case Study of Life Sciences Skills Development for Biomedical Science Graduates in Scotland

Biomedical sciences graduates are employed in a variety of different settings and form a significant part of the Life Sciences sector workforce in Scotland. Their degrees should equip them with the skills and knowledge to not only enter the workplace, but be adaptable in an environment that will inevitably change over the course of their careers. Industry and student feedback continue to identify perceived skills gaps, necessitating regular government-backed upskilling initiatives together with industry concerns about graduate readiness. For more than a decade, this Scottish Modern University has worked in partnership with industry and Scottish Government agencies to provide upskilling courses and incorporate relevant skills into the biomedical sciences curriculum, from problem solving and reflection to more applied, practical skills. Using the recent Advanced Therapies Skills Training Network collaboration as an instrumental case study this paper describes current best practice which has significantly impacted teaching and workplace training, ensuring biomedical sciences graduates have the knowledge and skills required for employment within the Life Science sector. Limits to the current life science skills model in Scotland are also identified (availability of placements, ad-hoc and inefficient collaborative structures, incompatible provider strategies) and recommendations made to ensure that biomedical sciences degrees continue to be part of a more sustainable, scalable solution to the skills gap. Recommendations include: better industry acknowledgement of accreditation, and more coherent, authentic and strategic collaboration which should improve skills advice and training, through a supported alliance between Industry and University Life Science Skills Committees and the establishment of regional training Centres of Excellence that would provide a focus for pooled resources and a simulated industry experience.