Pharma focus at skills ceremony
12 May 2015
Pharmaceuticals sector steals the show at this year’s Science Industry Skills Awards ceremony.
Previously known as the Life Sciences Skills Awards, this year’s event, organised by skills body Cogent Skills, was extended to include the chemical, polymer, downstream, water treatment, coatings and biotechnology industries.
The vast majority of this year’s winners have ties to either the pharmaceuticals or chemicals sectors.
“Cogent Skills is delighted to be able to provide a platform to showcase such outstanding talent
Cogent Skills CEO Joanna Woolf
Lotte Chemical’s Steve Trillo - an apprenticeship ambassador and science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) board member for Middlesbrough and Redcar/ Cleveland colleges - received the joint award for outstanding leadership in skills alongside Rachel Garlish, a senior principal scientist at biopharma firm UCB.
Garlish, who is also a STEM ambassador for UCB, is credited with setting up the ’Work in Science Week’ in 2012.
This allows students to spend time in UCB laboratories sampling day-to-day experiences and practicalities of a career in scientific research while being able to work alongside professionals.
Unsurprisingly, recognition for the work undertaken by students and apprentices was a major part of the awards ceremony.
The advanced apprentice of the year (R&D) and outstanding new talent award was won by Pfizer’s Charlotte Carr, who is currently undertaking a two-year Laboratory & Science Technician Advanced Apprenticeship.
Meanwhile, Kingsley Beagle from GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) received the award for advanced apprentice of the year in manufacturing and Hannah Bell, also of GSK, won the award for higher apprentice of the year.
Elsewhere for GSK, Rachel Lund won graduate of the year and is part of a global project to validate new disinfectants.
Cogent Skills chief executive officer Joanna Woolf said: “Cogent Skills is delighted to be able to provide a platform to showcase such outstanding talent and we congratulate both the nominees and the winners.
“It was truly an inspirational evening and fantastic to see the talented nominees and winners who are all an absolute credit to their employers.”
