A NEW skills programme has been launched to boost York's science community.
In the wake of the third annual White Rose Bioscience Forum, which brought more than 200 delegates to York, Science City York has launched a Bioscience Skills Programme. The initiative aims to support North Yorkshire's rapidly expanding bioscience community by helping employers identify their existing and future need for skills.
The programme then aims to allow bioscience companies to directly influence the region's training providers so that local people learn the skills needed.
The £150,000 contract to run the programme has been awarded to Science City York by the Learning and Skills Council and is being funded by Yorkshire Forward. It is part of a drive to ensure that people of North Yorkshire are helped to gain the knowledge and skills they increasingly need to develop, grow and prosper in their working lives.
The Bioscience Skills programme could help companies ranging from small businesses to multimationals, involved in pharmaceuticals, chemicals, food, agriculture and the environment.
Employers will be able to get training support in management development, entrepreneurship, commercialisation, technology transfer, marketing, regulatory processes, laboratory skills, IT and administration.
Anna Rooke, manager of Science City York, said: "The Bioscience Skills programme will provide fantastic new learning opportunities for the bioscience community.
It centres on Science City York working closely with employers to identify their existing and future skills needs so that we can then manage and deliver the most appropriate training.
"In most cases courses will be run locally, with the occasional need to send people on specialised courses further afield. We are also working with local colleges and education providers to develop new training in areas where there is a shortfall."
More than 30 of the region's bioscience companies and practitioners were showcased at the White Rose Bioscience Forum at York's Central Science Laboratory, which attracted people from all over the world.
Updated: 15:46 Monday, December 01, 2003
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