Ageing workforce affecting science
9 Jul 2015
There is an imbalance in the age groups of UK science sector employees, according to figures compiled by sector skills body Cogent Skills.
The figures also suggest that a shortage of essential skills will become a bigger issue unless companies start investing now in new talent and skills.
The Labour Force Survey reveals that employees aged 40-64 working in the industrial sciences sector - including chemicals, petroleum and polymers - outnumber those aged 18-40 by more than 18%.
“Skills shortages ultimately affect an organisation’s ability to compete in an increasingly global market
SIP’s Mark Botting
Figures also suggest that new or recent school leavers and graduates account for only 8.5% of the sector’s total workforce.
What’s more, nearly 70% of all companies in the industrial sciences sector are receiving a “low number of applicants with the required skills”.
Unfortunately, the life sciences sector fares no better.
Indeed, figures in the survey suggest there are 28% more employees aged 40-64 than 16-40, with new or recent school leavers and graduates making up only 5% of the total workforce.
Like the industrial science sector, more than 80% of life sciences firms have vacancies affected by skills shortages with more than 70% struggling to attract applicants with the skills they need to satisfy “hard to fill” vacancies.
In order to tackle these issues, the Science Industry Partnership (SIP), facilitated by Cogent Skills, is urging those within the science industry to embrace the available support and match-funding to address the long-term skills challenges in the UK.
Chairman of the SIP Futures Group Mark Botting said: “The age gap across the science sectors is a clear signal that science sector companies need to have succession planning along with skills and talent development on their agenda now.
“Skills shortages ultimately affect an organisation’s ability to compete in an increasingly global market.”
’Apprenticeships’
Pharmaceuticals firm Actavis is one company that is actively addressing its succession planning by investing in Trailblazer Apprenticeships designed to be bespoke to a company’s skills requirements.
Actavis technical transfer manager Hilary Jeffreys said: “We recognised the need to bring in apprentices to support future growth and build a pipeline of home-grown talent in different areas of the business.
“And though employers may previously have struggled with the concept of employing apprentices rather than graduates, they are now understanding the opportunity apprenticeships offer to individuals and the company.”
Earlier this year, the government announced a new Degree Apprenticeships scheme, offering a number a higher apprenticeships including for laboratory science.
That apprenticeship has now been approved and will be available from September this year.
Elsewhere across the science, technology, engineering and maths network, higher education body UCAS revealed this week that more students are applying to engineering courses at university.
In that instance, the figures suggest an increase by 7% on the previous year for all domiciles, and up by 9% for UK applicants.
