Imperial-GSK partnership offers on-the-job training to industrial chemists

New workplace learning qualification for industrial chemists agreed - <em>News</em>

Monday 14 December 2009
By Abigail Smith

Imperial is teaming up with pharmaceutical company GSK to provide a new qualification for activities in the workplace, thanks to an agreement signed today.

The partnership will give GSK’s chemists the opportunity to work for a Certificate of Advanced Study in Industrial Pharmaceutical Chemistry, awarded by the College, as part of their job. Participants will be registered as part-time Imperial students.

The certificate aims to recognise and accredit workplace achievements in both scientific knowledge and practical applications. The knowledge element will be delivered through a mix of GSK online training packages and a series of lectures and problem classes delivered by Imperial’s Department of Chemistry. Because the majority of GSK staff taking part will be based at sites in Cork, Singapore and Montrose, lectures and problem classes will be delivered online. Assessment will include an online viva examination.

The Imperial-delivered part of the course will ensure that participants have access to the latest knowledge and developments in synthetic chemistry, which is essential for efficient pharmaceutical manufacture. Professor Tom Welton, Head of the Department of Chemistry, said:

“This is the first time that the College has partnered with industry in this way to provide an Imperial-awarded qualification for on-the-job learning, but when we thought about it we realised it’s exactly the sort of thing we should be doing. Imperial is all about contributing to the world beyond our doors, and chemistry in particular underpins a whole host of important applications. Both the research we do here and the highly educated graduates we produce are very valuable to companies like GSK, so offering tailored, industry-focused education is an obvious next step.”

The first GSK participants will begin working towards the certificate in January 2010 and are expected to take between one and four years to complete it, depending on other work commitments. The initial cohort will be chemists working in global manufacturing, whose work is focused on the large-scale synthesis of compounds and drugs.

The certificate is part of GSK’s Chemistry Development Framework, set up to define levels of achievement and competence in specific areas so that staff can plan and be recognised for their development. Chris Browne, Head of Technical Development in GSK’s Primary Supply division, said:

“The programme has been designed to build and maintain chemistry skills and it is a really exciting milestone for us to achieve accreditation from Imperial, home to one of the leading chemistry departments in the world.”

Sir Roy Anderson, Rector of Imperial College London, said:

“The pace of change, particularly in science and technology, is so rapid that education cannot be viewed as a one off activity. Both employers and employees must invest in on-going learning to stay on top of the latest developments and knowledge, and maintain their competitive edge. As two forward-looking, innovation-hungry organisations, Imperial and GSK are well-matched partners in this endeavour. I hope we will have many more opportunities to work together to meet the worldwide need for a highly skilled, scientifically literate workforce.”

The partnership was facilitated by Imperial Consultants, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Imperial which provides independent consultancy advice and analytical services for industry, commerce and government.