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Career pathways for shortage roles

A new resource to boost skills in the region’s health and life sciences sector

Health and Life Sciences – Career pathways for shortage roles is a new resource designed to help:

  • Businesses working in the region’s health and life sciences sector address skills shortages for key roles
  • Education and training providers develop industry relevant curriculum
  • The wider industry grow and thrive in the North East.

It has been developed in response to the publication of the North East Health, Life Sciences and Medicines Manufacturing Strategy, which aims to double the number of jobs and businesses in the health and life sciences sector by 2030.

What is Health and Life Sciences – Career pathways for shortage roles?

A free online resource for businesses working in the North East’s health and life sciences sector, Health and Life Sciences – Career pathways for shortage roles outlines the basic and essential skills needed for six key roles where a shortage of appropriately skilled candidates has been identified. The six key roles are:

  • Analytical Chemist
  • Process Engineer
  • Software Engineer
  • Quality Assurance Manager
  • Lab Technician
  • Project Manager.

What help and support can businesses access?

Employers can see the education and training routes available in the region to allow them to grow talent into the six specific roles, including:

Education and training

  • Apprenticeships
  • T Levels
  • Further education.

Uptake of apprenticeships and other vocational qualifications is very low in the health and life sciences sector.

The resource uses existing good practice and occupational maps from the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) to identify better ways to utilise apprenticeship funding and advancements in technical education to develop talent into the six key shortage roles.

Education contacts and courses

Businesses can access information on local education contacts as well as training and courses relevant to each role.

Case studies

Employers can also read case studies about local employers who have successfully adopted the education and training routes outlined in the resource to increase workforce development.

What support is available for education and training providers?

Insight to develop an industry relevant curriculum

In addition to supporting employers in the region with recruitment challenges, the new resource also provides information on skills shortages in the sector, which education and training providers can use to inform the development of an industry relevant curriculum and inform young people about career pathways into in the sector.

How do I access the resources?

Visit the Health and Life Sciences – Career pathways for shortage roles resource.

Visit the North East Health and Life Sciences Sector Careers Toolkit.

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In conversation with Rhona Knox from Procter & Gamble (P&G) about innovation in the North East

Rhona Knox is R&D Vice President, Global Fabric Care Sustainability, Dry Laundry, and head of the Newcastle Innovation Centre at Procter & Gamble (P&G). Originally from Dunbar, Scotland, Rhona came to the North East in 1993 on an internship with P&G and has worked at the company for more than 28 years.

What is it about the culture at P&G that’s led you to stay at the company for such a long time?

At P&G, our culture is rooted in the idea that we can make people’s everyday lives a little bit better through our products and brands. Playing my part in delivering on that mission is one reason I’ve stayed for such a long time. After all, if I asked you what you did this morning, you may tell me that you’ve brushed your teeth, washed your hair, put clean clothes on or cleaned your house. So already, the work I am doing at P&G has touched your life in many different ways. Having that tangible impact on wider society is really important to me.

Working at P&G has also enabled me to live and work all over the world – all whilst doing some really interesting assignments, despite working for the same company. For many of my friends, getting that variety has meant having to change jobs multiple times, so I count myself really lucky.

What does innovation mean to you?

Innovation is at the heart of everything we do – our products, our services, our capabilities – because it enables us to continue to evolve and improve in ways which we believe will make a different to people. It helps us to solve real problems through experimentation. That’s something I’m fortunate enough to be involved in each and every day. If I don’t get it right first time, that’s okay – I learn from it, safe in the knowledge that I’ll be closer to getting it right next time. As a company, we place a huge emphasis on adopting a growth mindset – embedding a culture of learning as opposed to always getting the right answer first time around – and that is crucial to innovation.

A great example of how we’re continuing to embed this philosophy is through our ‘failure panels’, which were introduced by someone in my team. They’ve done an amazing job – providing an opportunity for everyone to share their experiences related to things that haven’t gone right first time. They’re so important because they remind people that failure should be accepted and embraced, whilst providing all-important learnings to carry forward in the future.

Where do you think you’ve innovated most in your career?

I’m really pleased that I’m still able to do some hands-on work and, whilst that might not be in a laboratory, it’s still focused on creating new ideas and developing solutions.

If I think about a situation where I’ve been at my most innovative, I’d say that it’s probably been in scenarios where my team ave been seen as the underdog, i.e. the challenge is high but the chances of success are acknowledged to be relatively low. It’s made me my most innovative because it gives you a lot of freedom to really experiment and try new things, knowing from the outset that nobody really expects you to succeed.

I’ve also found that I’m particularly innovative in cases where I haven’t had a huge budget for my work, because it requires you to put more thought into where and how you use the little resources that you do have. I believe that necessity is the mother of invention, so it isn’t always great to have lots of money at your disposal. On the other hand, there are times where it can make a big difference, particularly in the scaling phase.

You’ve worked all over the world. Is there a similar approach to innovation or does it change in different places?

I think there are nuances. In China, for example, there’s a huge appetite to experiment, whereas generally in the West a lot more planning is applied. And I think there’s probably a sweet spot between the two – both have their merits. Ultimately, there isn’t a perfect model for innovation – so my advice would always be to pick what you think works best, based on your experiences, and to try to bring those things together.

How important are people in innovation?

Innovation is absolutely a team sport; people are such an important part of my job. Yes, everyone can name the great inventors who are all individuals, but I find it hard to believe they truly did it all by themselves. And it’s not a model for today. Productive, meaningful innovation is reliant on bringing together bright, diverse teams to solve complex challenges, because it means you’re able to incorporate all manner of knowledge and experiences to reach a solution. That’s why, as a company, we’re particularly passionate about increasing gender diversity in STEM fields.

What were your impressions of the North East after moving back to the region?

I was working in Singapore before I came back to Newcastle. The P&G site in Singapore is based on a purpose-built Bio Innovation Hub which has some very high-tech buildings. There’s been a huge amount of investment there.

Before I came back to Newcastle, I thought that major innovations would take place at a specific site, as opposed to happening all across the region. Once I’d returned, I found that the old Newcastle brewery site had gone, and that there was a huge amount of work underway to create what is now Newcastle Helix – one of the biggest innovation hubs in Europe. It’s great to see that the whole region is continuing to reinvent itself from the days of heavy industry, with the skills of people across the North East being used to create new science and new innovation. It’s really transformed to become a modern, high-tech hub, which is great to see.

What are your ambitions for the future of the North East?

I’d love to see more big organisations, like P&G, come to the North East, helping to continue to scale up our innovation and manufacturing capabilities. I think the region’s desire to create is very strong, and we no longer need to focus our energies on coal or heavy industry. Today, we can look to biotech or harnessing the power of technology more broadly – creating a clean, manufacturing epicentre for the future.

In addition to attracting existing corporates to the region, we should also ensure that we’re growing the smaller companies that are already in the region, so that they’re able to become the big corporates of tomorrow.

Learn more about the health and life sciences sector in the North East.

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In conversation: Funding and investment accelerates new drug development

Iksuda Therapeutics develops a new generation of drugs which target difficult-to-treat cancers. In 2020, the business received £24,524 from the North East LEP’s COVID-19 Patent Protection Scheme to fund patent filing and renewal costs in multiple countries.

Chief Executive Officer, Dave Simpson, talks about the company’s growth, and how investment has helped accelerate the development of new treatments for patients.

The support from the North East LEP and the COVID-19 Patent Protection Scheme came at a critical phase for us. We operate in a very IP-heavy business so we were very grateful to receive the funding to help us secure our IP during what was a crucial time for our growth.

Around the same time that we had this support from the North East LEP, we were building a strong relationship with investors overseas, particularly in Korea. This work opened up multiple opportunities globally and we’ve recently completed a $47 million funding round led by Korean-based Mirae Asset Capital and Celltrion Inc.

The last few months has seen the business transform as this investment has helped us move closer towards clinical trial and helping patients when they need it most. The pandemic brought a unique set of challenges to the business but with global support from our shareholders the the outcome has been fantastic.

A global business with a North East base

Due to the pandemic, all our engagement and due diligence with our eventual  investors in Korea was undertaken via video call. It’s proof that this can be done remotely, wherever you’re based and that there is appetite for investment in the North East from significant, overseas players.

The company was originally formed by IP Group Plc and Bath University but our UK headquarters and research team are based in the North East, while our pre-clinical/clinical team work out of our Boston US office.

The North East is a good fit for us. The resources we need are readily available here and the region is ambitious. It wants to invest in and support early stage companies – as Iksuda was at the time we moved here – and encourage them to grow here.

We’re located at the Biosphere in Newcastle which is a laboratory and office space, created as a bespoke facility for Iksuda. It’s been a huge benefit to us as a business but also to the region as a whole, which is fast becoming home to a strong health and life sciences cluster.

We currently employ 12 full time staff in Newcastle and the recent investment means that we plan to increase that to 20 in the next few months, and we will be growing our numbers in the USA as well.

Accelerating new treatments for patients

Now, we’re fully focused on entering clinic. It’s not too far away as we anticipate gaining Investigational New Drug (IND) approval at the end of this year for our lead pre-clinical candidate, IKS03, which is a new generation antibody drug conjugate (ADC) which targets B-cell tumours. We then plan to start patient doses in the first quarter of 2022.

Our ambition is to be taking two new drugs each year into clinic.

This latest stage of funding, investment and growth means that we can accelerate our work and help more patients, which is our ultimate aim.

Find out more about Iksuda Therapeutics.

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UK Life Sciences Vision

Colin Bell, Business Growth Director at the North East Local Enterprise Partnership, reacts to the publication of the Government’s UK Life Sciences Vision.

“Government’s bold and ambitious UK Life Sciences Vision aims to address some of the of our most urgent health challenges – including cancer, dementia and cardiovascular disease. Working with industry, it aims to position the UK as a leader in scientific excellence.

“Here in the North East, we plan to support the delivery of the UK Life Sciences Vision by delivering on the targets set out in the region’s Health, Life Sciences and Medicines Manufacturing Strategy, which aims to double the number of jobs in the North East’s health and life sciences sector, and double the number of businesses active in the region’s health and life sciences community.

“We want to build on our sector strengths by expanding the development of advanced therapies and drug delivery systems; grow the pharmaceutical manufacturing supply chain, and deliver more diagnostics development and scale-up opportunities.

“We want the North East to continue to be a place where health and life sciences businesses can start, grow and scale.

“The North East’s health and life sciences community played a central role in the UK’s COVID-19 response. Newcastle-based QuantuMDx invested over £11 million to accelerate development, scale-up and manufacture of its rapid point-of-care testing system – Q-POC. Atelerix, which is based at The Biosphere on Newcastle Helix, developed a ground-breaking solution for cell preservation by using existing technology to extend the shelf life of COVID-19 test kits. And the CPI, based at NETPark in County Durham, was part of the national taskforce to develop, scale-up, manufacture and supply effective COVID-19 vaccines.

“In alignment with the UK Life Sciences Vision, we want to channel the achievements of North East health and life sciences businesses to grow the sector, create more and better jobs in the North East, and help position the UK a global leader in health and life sciences.”

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North East health and life sciences sector leads the way in global COVID response

The North East Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) has praised the region’s health and life sciences sector for its vital work in the global effort against Covid-19.

The health and life sciences community is home to 150 businesses across the region. Its strengths include an advanced manufacturing cluster, contributing significantly to the global pharmaceutical industry, and a thriving biotech cluster.

Many companies working in the North East health and life sciences sector have channelled their world-leading expertise into finding solutions to the Covid-19 crisis.

One such business is Newcastle-based QuantuMDx, which has invested over £11 million to accelerate development, scale-up and manufacture of Q-POC – its rapid point-of-care testing system – in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Q-POC is a portable, PCR device offering rapid, sample-to-answer, molecular diagnostic testing at the point of care, with results in approximately 30 minutes. The Q-POC system comprises a sample collection kit, single-use test cassette and analyser.

The company’s first commercial assay for Q-POC will detect SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing COVID-19, and Flu A & B, providing a powerful rapid PCR diagnostics and surveillance tool for clinicians and public health officials.

QuantuMDx welcomed Prime Minister Boris Johnson for a tour of its purpose-built HQ in February.

Jonathan O’Halloran, Chief Executive, QuantuMDx, (pictured) said: “It is incredible to see the progress that has been made so far in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, including the many achievements of companies here in the North East of England.

“By scaling up we were able to successfully accelerate the development of our Q-POC system for SARS-CoV-2 testing. The Q-POC will be one of the fastest, most accurate and powerful PCR diagnostic devices on the market and we look forward to being able to offer this rapid, point of care diagnostic solution to help front line health workers across the world.”

Life sciences businesses based in The Biosphere on Newcastle Helix adapted and innovated using existing research and development expertise to support the fight against COVID-19. Atelerix, who have developed a ground breaking solution for cell preservation, used existing technology to extend the shelf life of COVID-19 test kits. Independent research organisation ExplantLab have been investigating the influence of HLA genotype on the severity of COVID‐19 infection, looking at whether certain genes may protect individuals from developing serious complications. Cancer diagnosis company MDNA Life Sciences made Covid-19 testing available to commercial businesses; and Alcyomics are investigating the immune response to the SARS-CoV-2 virus, critical for the evaluation of vaccines and clinical management of patients.

The Biosphere is becoming a popular hot spot for innovative life science organisations, with the latest addition being an Innovation Lab, part of the NHS Integrated Covid Hub North East. The specialist lab team at The Biosphere is dedicated to speeding up the validation and implementation of new methods for cutting-edge Covid testing and builds on Newcastle Hospitals’ international reputation for life science research and innovation.

John Tyson, Head of the Innovation Lab, said: “There has been an incredible amount of collaborative effort and learning throughout the pandemic from industry, academia, the NHS and the community. 

“At our Innovation Lab we are working closely with industry and academia to accelerate the development of new COVID diagnostics, which can have an immediate impact and also provide a stronger resilience against future infectious diseases threats.

“As we look to move out of this acute phase, we have a real opportunity to build a lasting legacy across sectors and life sciences in the region.”

Also at the forefront of the COVID-19 response is CPI, an independent, deep-tech innovation centre and a founding member of UK’s High Value Manufacturing Catapult . CPI acts as a catalyst bringing together academia, businesses, government and investors to translate bright ideas and research into the marketplace and supports innovations in healthtech and cleantech.

Arun Harish, Strategy Director at CPI, said: “CPI is one of the leading mRNA innovation and manufacturing experts in the UK, currently working as part of the Government’s Vaccine Task Force to lead a rapid response vaccine unit to develop and manufacture new candidates to fight COVID -19 virus variants of concern.

“CPI’s National Formulation Centre at NETPark in Sedgefield is at the forefront of innovation in nanotherapeutic drug delivery systems such as the Lipid Nanoparticles (LNP) that are used to encapsulate the mRNA vaccines. When new variants of concern of COVID-19 are identified by VUEAG (the expert panel of Scientists in the UK), mRNA vaccines variants can be developed in a matter of weeks, ready for clinical trial confirmation of efficacy and subsequently commercial manufacture of millions of doses if needed.”

 CPI has also contributed to UK’s diagnostics efforts through innovation and manufacture of critical reagents and active contribution to the Rapid Antigen Test consortium.

 The LEP recently published its North East Health, Life Sciences and Medicines Manufacturing Strategy, designed to double the number of North East jobs in the health, life sciences and pharmaceuticals industry to 24,000 by 2030.

Health and life sciences is identified as an area of opportunity for the region in the LEP’s North East Strategic Economic Plan, which is the roadmap for creating 100,000 more and better jobs by 2024.

In 2019, Health and Life Sciences in the North East region had a turnover of £1.7bn, up from £1.5bn in 2018.

Between 2010 and 2019, overall employment in the sector increased by 1,400, which represents an equivalent increase of 22% compared to 9% nationally.

Lucy Winskell OBE, Chair of the North East LEP, said: “The world-leading science and innovation developed here in the North East in the ongoing battle against Covid-19 highlights the global importance of our health and life sciences sector.

“The North East has made an incredible contribution to the Covid-19 response through our manufacturing and innovation strengths, our public health and care services, and in the development of testing.

“This has showcased on a global scale our diverse life sciences, health innovation and medicines manufacturing capabilities. We are committed to building on the fantastic work already being done in this area through the implementation of our ambitious North East Health, Life Sciences and Medicines Manufacturing Strategy.”

Read more about the North East Health, Life Sciences and Medicines Manufacturing Strategy.