Join the BIA Skills Community for an in-person event in London to discuss the forthcoming Life Sciences Jobs Plan and what it means for the sector. Bringing together SMEs, industry leaders and policy representatives, the session will explore current challenges in the skills and talent pipeline and provide an opportunity for members to share insights on how the UK life sciences workforce can be strengthened.
The Life Sciences Jobs Plan will set out how government, industry, and other stakeholders can work together over the next three years to address skills and workforce challenges that risk holding back growth in life sciences. The Plan will outline the challenges faced by the sector and then focus on identifying practical actions that partners can take to improve access to skills, support talent attraction, and strengthen institutions that support development of the sector workforce. The Plan will be underpinned by engagement with the sector, and we hope this event will be a chance for SMEs to share their experiences and priorities and help shape the actions and commitments within the Plan.
Through an introduction from the Office for Life Sciences, an industry panel chaired by Skills England, and interactive roundtable discussions, attendees will provide feedback on proposed actions around upskilling and short courses, funding and GSL, and attraction and workforce readiness, while connecting with peers from across the BIA Skills Community.
This event is strictly invite only for our Skills community members, spaces are limited. Find out more on how to join a community here.
Agenda
10:30 – 11:00 Arrival & registration
11:00 – 11:20 Introduction to the Life Sciences Jobs Plan framework
11:20 – 12:15 Industry panel session: How companies are addressing current challenges in the skills and talent pipeline
12:15 – 13:00 Networking Lunch
13:00 – 14:15 Roundtable discussions on proposed actions:
- Upskilling & Short Course
- Funding & GSL
- Attraction & Workforce readiness
14:15 – 14:30 Conclusions, feedback & next steps
14:30 – 15:30 Networking and refreshments
Speakers
Kate Barclay
What does your role at BIA involve?
As an experienced Biochemical Engineer, Kate leads skills and talent programme development across STEM industries using over 30 years of experience within large pharma and small company networks. Working with BIA, she represents the sector ensuring access to the incredible talent and addressing skills gaps to start, grow and scale innovative life sciences and biotech organisations.
Previous experience & achievements
In addition to her role at BIA, Kate works as an independent consultant supporting organisations to develop their skills and talent strategies. She has oversight for quality governance of technical and professional education as IfATE Non-Executive Director and is a Board member of North Hertfordshire College. Kate holds MBA from Open University and a PhD in Bio-Chemical Engineering from UCL. As a Chartered Engineer (CEng FIChemE), she held previous senior leadership roles across diverse pharmaceutical manufacturing and R&D portfolios including Solid Dose, Parenteral & Inhaled Devices.
If you could invite any scientist or entrepreneur to dinner, who would it be and why?
Rosalind Franklin, as she made contributions to the understanding of the fine molecular structures of DNA and RNA. She studied science at a time when few women attended university and led pioneering work on multiple viruses. Kate would love to know what she thinks about what we know now!
Adam Harwood
Adam Harwood works within the People function at Genomics, a science-led transatlantic TechBio spun out of the University of Oxford that combines large-scale genetic data with AI-enabled analytics to accelerate drug discovery and advance preventative healthcare. He focuses on talent development, culture, and building the skills pipeline needed to scale a fast-growing life sciences business. Since joining in 2021, Adam has helped build the people infrastructure and culture that earned Genomics recognition as a Newsweek Most Loved Workplace (2024) and Sunday Times Best Place to Work (2025). He brings 15 years of experience in People and Learning & Development roles across high-growth organisations.
Louise Scott
Louise Scott leads work on manufacturing innovation, resilience and skills in the Office for Life Sciences. This work includes development of the Life Sciences Sector Jobs Plan. She has been a civil servant for eight years, including roles in the Vaccine Taskforce and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. Before that she worked for a consultancy specialising in evaluation and working across a range of policy areas
Event host
BIA Annual Supporters
