Government’s medicines manufacturing workforce scheme delivers “overwhelmingly positive” first results

A UK government scheme aiming to bridge a significant skills gap in the life sciences sector has delivered its first results.

Resilience is a two-year, £4.5 million programme using new tools such as virtual reality to train medicine makers in core skills which would be impractical, disruptive, and expensive to gain in the real world.

The programme, which started in April 2024, has so far delivered encouraging results:

, the data shows encouraging results:

• 1,200 trainees attended industry relevant training events led by Resilience partners
• 13,500 students from across the UK participated in training and outreach activities through 170 events
• 75 future sector leaders from 23 organisations developed skills through leadership accelerator programmes
• 66% of future leaders across the leadership accelerator programme identified as female
• 45% of future leaders across the leadership accelerator programme came from BAME backgrounds

Professor Ivan Wall, co-director of Resilience said: “As we move into the latter stages of the programme, these results are overwhelmingly positive. The number of future medicine makers we’ve reached is remarkable. Over a thousand trainees have gained the skills to thrive in medicines manufacturing, and more than thirteen thousand students have gained knowledge and skills to inspire a career in an area facing critical shortages.

"Skills are the engine of growth. When companies know they can tap into world-class talent, they invest, expand, and innovate. By building this pipeline, we can boost productivity at home and safeguard the sector, while making the UK the natural destination for global life sciences companies looking to establish and succeed.

"At the launch of Resilience, the Minister of State for Science, Research and Innovation, Lord Patrick Vallance, highlighted that closing the industry’s skills gap is vital for a successful life sciences sector. These results show we are making strong progress in bridging that gap.”

Funded by the Office for Life Sciences, part of the UK Government’s Department for Science, Innovation & Technology, and managed through Innovate UK, Resilience is a £4.5 million programme.

Partner organisations across the UK delivering the programme include the University of Birmingham, University College London (UCL), Teesside University, Heriot-Watt University and Britest.

As well as bridging the skills gap, Resilience is helping the NHS to meet its long-term goal of achieving net zero. 25% of NHS emissions are in the supply chain, and VR will help the industry deliver net zero medicines manufacturing by reducing laboratory waste.