Skills Environment

As part of its programme of work, the Medicines Manufacturing Industry Partnership (MMIP) seeks to ensure that the UK has an adaptive workforce with relevant skills to sustain the future requirements of the UK medicines manufacturing industry. 

MMIP has identified six objectives for medicines manufacturing skills in the UK:

  1. Promote the Medicines Manufacturing Industry and careers within it
  2. Create apprenticeships standards to enable companies to use the Apprenticeship Levy
  3. Share and promote good practice for training and skills development
  4. Address the low level of practical skills in graduates and other new-starters
  5. Address the issues arising from there being relatively small national cohorts for education and training in a number of critical skills areas
  6. As part of the ATMP Taskforce recommendations​, deliver an End to End Talent Management Plan for the sector and establish a Skills and Training Academy for the UK 

Progress and activity

During 2015 and early 2016, MMIP was a major contributor to the Science Industry Partnership's (SIP) Skills Strategy. This Strategy was published in April 2016 and identifies the key skills issues and gaps that need to be addressed across the science industries, including small and large molecule pharmaceuticals and advanced therapies.

​The SIP Skills Strategy provided further reinforcement of many of the skills issues identified in the ABPI's 2015 Report "Bridging the Skills Gap in the Biopharmaceutical Industry".

In addition the MMIP has been working with the Department for Education and The Life and Industrial Science Trailblazer Group to develop new apprenticeship standards for medicines manufacturing.

MMIP also supports the SIP Ambassador Programme​.

​Further information

Kate Barclay, Pfizer, contributed a guest blog to the ABPI for National Apprenticeship Week (6-12 March 2017) on ​Apprenticeships: the career step for you?​

Simon Mowat, AstraZeneca, contributed a guest blog to the ABPI for National Careers Week (6-12 March 2017) on ​Motivating the future medicine manufacturing workforce​.

Related content in this section:

Medicines Manufacturing Industry Partnership (MMIP)




Last modified: 20 September 2023

Last reviewed: 20 September 2023