Medical Research Council (MRC) and Biotechnology & Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC): Skills Priority Review

We were jointly commissioned by two research councils, MRC and BBSRC (part of the UK Research & Innovation family) to identify skills gaps in UK life sciences to understand the future landscape for the sector. The skills priority review focused on five ‘skills gaps clusters’ including digital skills, data science skills, interdisciplinarity, knowledge exchange and business and compliance skills, and soft skills.

The research examined current UK skills gaps across these skills gaps clusters, exploring variation by sector and job role, to determine what the future landscape of skills demand and supply in life sciences might look like in the context of continuously changing skills needs in the next ten years. The study also examined training programmes and initiatives targeting skills gaps clusters, to identify what works well or could be improved.

Our research methodology comprised:

• desk research of secondary sources,

• an online survey of employers of life sciences stakeholders, and

• qualitative research involving three roundtable discussions plus depth interviews.

Drawing together all the evidence from this review, we set out suggestions for how stakeholders across the UK life sciences sector might wish to respond. MRC and BBSRC are currently using these suggested actions to meaningfully take forward the findings in collaboration with key stakeholders.