Written question WQ88871

The Life Sciences industry is thriving in Wales and we recognise the need to support a pipeline of talent to continue its growth. We are using a number of mechanisms to promote and support careers in the industry, bringing together schools, universities and businesses.

Our Welsh Universities (USW, Cardiff University and Swansea University Institute of Life Sciences) are renowned internationally for their academic and clinical research excellence. There are an estimated 12,000 students in life sciences-related programmes across Welsh Universities. They each have a focus on preparing students for life after graduation, with USW alone estimating that 95% of its graduates are in full time work or further study within six months.

Health and Care Research Wales invests in training and career development opportunities to enable capacity and capability in health and social care research in Wales which includes links to the life sciences sector.

Our Tech Valleys programme, is funding a long-term commitment to raise awareness of careers and promote engagement with STEM subjects in schools.

The Tech Valleys STEM Facilitation Project has established a new era of partnership between industry, schools and settings across Blaenau Gwent and has led to science achievements improving across all schools. This project has been shortlisted for a STEM Educational Programme of the Year at the Wales STEM Awards in October.

This summer, the programme funded a residential university taster event for Year 12 learners at USW. This included hands-on sessions in pharmaceutical science for students to create their own flavoured lip balms and face cream, and in biomedical engineering where students diagnosed a patient with heart failure.

Our national careers service, Careers Wales works with thousands of businesses and brings together schools and employers (all secondary and special schools, PRUs and colleges), with the aim of informing, inspiring and motivating young people about their career opportunities, this includes businesses from the life science sector. With the support of Careers Wales employer activities are delivered face to face and digitally, they include single employer events, such as talks and site visits, and multiple employer events, such as, speed networking, carousel days and large-scale careers fairs. Life science sector activities Careers Wales have recently supported include:

· GCSE Science pupils visiting CatSci Pharmaceutical Laboratories. CatSci’s purpose is to get new medicines into the hands of patients in need, with a core focus on chemical development of new drug substances in pre-clinical and early clinical phases. The company has laboratories that focus on small molecules and oligonucleotides across two UK sites.

· Leaders in the Development and Manufacture of BioCatalysts have supported a number of activities, including mock interviews, careers carousels and an employability workshop.

· Future Doctors events have been run at The Maelor and St Asaph Hospitals.

· IPSEN Biopharm, a pharmaceutical company manufacturing and researching new medicines, offered schools activities and presentations during British Science Week.

To further support careers in life sciences, the Welsh Government has established various growth-supporting initiatives such as:

· Life Sciences Hub Wales

· Life Sciences National Research Network Wales

We are also working with the UK Government on initiatives such as the Cardiff Capital Region (CCR) and Swansea City Region deal programmes. CCR, for example, is focusing specifically on medical diagnostics and devices to maximise the growth opportunities attracted by an established hub of SMEs and start-ups, as well the talent produced within the region’s universities.