How BIA members shaped the Life Sciences Sector Jobs Plan

^{Discover how BIA members influenced the UK Life Sciences Sector Jobs Plan, addressing critical biotech talent shortages, lab skills and AI innovation}

Skills and talent are central to the ability of our life sciences sector to start, attract investment and scale within the UK.

Publication of the Life Sciences Sector Jobs plan recognises that building a strong domestic workforce pipeline alongside attracting world-class international talent is essential if the UK is to remain globally competitive.

A strategic blueprint for UK biotech talent

BIA members have played a vital role in shaping this work. Through BIA skills community workshops and roundtable discussions with policy makers, members shared first-hand evidence of the workforce challenges facing innovative biotech companies, from practical lab skills and work-readiness to specialist digital, manufacturing, regulatory and leadership capabilities.

These discussions helped ensure that the plan was informed by the experiences of companies of different sizes and stages of growth, including SMEs and scaling businesses operating with limited time, resources and HR capacity.

These events also gave BIA members a direct opportunity to explain where the current skills system works well, where it is difficult to navigate, and what practical support companies need to recruit, train and retain talent.

Key workforce priorities highlighted by the industry:

• The importance of flexible training.

• Clearer routes into the sector.

• Stronger careers outreach.

• A skills system to keep pace with emerging technologies such as AI, data science, advanced therapies and medicines manufacturing.

Industry-Government collaboration for long-term biotech growth

As a result, BIA believes the Life Sciences sector jobs plan is grounded in partnership between government, industry and the wider skills ecosystem. It acknowledges that no single organisation can address the sector’s workforce challenges alone, and that continued collaboration will be needed to deliver the actions set out in the plan, monitor progress and respond to future skills needs.

BIA member case studies including People Focussed Recruitment to Broaden Access to GMP Careers from Autolus, Progression Opportunities at Moderna and Enhanced Family-Friendly Parental Leave from AstraZeneca show that our sector is not waiting for government direction, it’s building talent pathways that match business needs with national priorities.

The next steps for UK biotech: turning ambition into action

However, whilst the Jobs Plan recognises SME skills challenges the system is still too complex and needs real simplification and support. Global mobility must remain central to life sciences growth, and despite 83% of our workforce being educated to Level 4+, the plan still leans heavily on lower‑level delivery instead of leadership, engagement with Higher Education, entrepreneurial and scale‑up skills.

As part of the Futures Group, BIA proved how powerful coordinated employer insight can be, yet there’s no funding or mechanism to keep it going even as 28 actions now need delivering with no additional resource behind them. For BIA members, the publication of the Jobs Plan is both a recognition of the influence they have already had and a call to stay engaged. By continuing to share evidence, participate in policy discussions and champion inclusive pathways into biotech, members can help turn the plan’s ambitions into practical change for innovative life sciences companies across the UK. BIA will continue to work with members to ensure the Jobs Plan is not just published, but delivered. Member evidence will remain essential in shaping implementation, identifying gaps and ensuring the skills system supports companies at every stage of growth.

BIA members have helped shape a Life Sciences Sector Jobs Plan that puts skills, talent and innovation at the heart of UK biotech growth. From lab skills to AI, manufacturing and leadership, this is a plan built with industry insight and focused on turning ambition into action. BIA will continue to work with members to ensure the Jobs Plan is not just published, but delivered.

Read the Life Sciences Sector Jobs Plan here.