Across much of the world, a shortage of key skills and talent is causing headaches for thousands of companies.
In the short to medium-term, education is the only real solution. And that education does not end with an undergraduate or postgraduate degree: instead, apprenticeships, in-house training programmes and continuous professional development are just as important for addressing skills gaps.
We caught up with five multinationals to find out how they address their own skills gaps through education.
Bristol Myers Squibb:
“BMS has a very active early careers talent attraction programme, including apprenticeships, transition years, internships and graduate rotational programmes,” says Pamela O’Brien, university relations programme sponsor and director of manufacturing science and technology at Cruiserath Biologics, which is part of BMS, a global biopharmaceutical company.
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“Over 54 per cent of those participating on our graduate programme have been previous interns at Cruiserath Biologics and, to date, our data shows that there is a nearly 90 per cent retention on completion of that programme.”
O’Brien says the most significant disrupters in biopharmaceutical operations continue to be new product modalities such as cell and gene therapy, digitisation and advanced analytics.
“The Irish higher education system continues to produce a high volume of skilled graduates in areas essential to the sector,” she adds. “This has been helped by higher education institutions’ close links with our industry and Bristol Myers Squibb.”
Ornua:
“Learning and development at all career stages is an essential building block in creating and developing a sustainable talent pool,” says Majella Darcy, chief people officer at Ornua, the Irish dairy firm behind the Kerrygold brand.
A big focus for the company is on growing a sustainability talent pool. Ornua offers apprenticeships and early career development initiatives such as its graduate programme. Some of these are at its manufacturing sites in locations including the UK and Germany, on tailored programmes involving learning and mentorship.
There’s also the Ornua graduate programme, which is open to graduates from a wide variety of academic backgrounds.
“The two-year programme includes two 12-month structured rotations with exposure to multiple disciplines and business units, and a blended mix of classroom and self-directed learning,” says Darcy. “Many past and senior leaders within Ornua joined the business through this programme.”
Ornua also engages in collaborations with academia, including a partnership with UCC’s MSc in sustainable development, agri-food and co-operatives, which involves students in work placements and research-based learning.
“Experiential learning is invaluable as it creates an environment where real-world challenges can be met with new ideas and innovative solutions,” says Darcy.
Pfizer:
Biopharmaceutical firm Pfizer has a long presence in Ireland and has been offering apprenticeship programmes for more than 20 years at its manufacturing sites in Dublin, Kildare and Cork. Marius McNicholas, site lead at Pfizer Grange Castle (Dublin), says that there are 25 apprentices on site.
“We are currently recruiting for our 2024 apprentices’ programmes across manufacturing engineering, laboratory, logistics and manufacturing technicians,” says McNicholas.
Pfizer supports the national apprenticeship programme run by Solas, the further education and training agency. Apprentices work on site and at one of Pfizer’s partner institutions, TU Dublin and ATU. Manufacturing processes are a key concern for Pfizer, while it is currently developing a new apprenticeship programme for process technicians.
“We work closely with each higher education institution to ensure that the time the apprentices spend on site and in the classroom is giving them the correct skills they need,” says McNicholas. “Conventional paths within the education system aren’t always suitable for an individual’s needs. The model of earning while you learn presents a fantastic alternative for some students who might have different obstacles in their personal life which can make traditional third level education difficult.”
Qualcomm:
Understanding the needs of industry is vital for third-level institutions that want to prepare their graduates for the real world. With this in mind, global technology company Qualcomm works with the sector, collaborating with academics and sharing knowledge.
“We participate in numerous visits to numerous Irish and European universities, we open conversations on curriculum and take part in sponsorship of specific universities relevant to our industry needs,” says Paul Kelleher, vice-president of engineering at Qualcomm Ireland.
“We are guest speakers and adjunct professors at universities, and this, along with the sponsorship opportunities we take, gives us visibility at these universities. We are also supporting them with the latest technology relevant to courses.”
For Qualcomm, internships are key in developing a sustainable talent pool, says Kelleher: “These range from three to nine month periods, depending on their academic year of study. They’re not standard internships; they contribute to the overall goals of their team and [participants] are encouraged to take initiative and leave their mark. Third year, fourth year and PhD students take part in them, and they’re supported from the minute they sign up in terms of relocation and travel.”
Johnson & Johnson:
A talent pool is important but without a gender balance organisations miss out on ideas and talent. Pharmaceutical multinational Johnson & Johnson has been ahead of the game in developing and upskilling female talent. As of the end of 2023 49 per cent of J&J management positions globally were held by women, while women make up half of the company’s workforce.
Johnson & Johnson runs an initiative called WiStem, which encourages women and girls to consider Stem2D (science, technology, engineering, maths and design) opportunities, and has reached more than 800,000 young women and girls since 2021, says Anna Rafferty, senior director at J&J.
“We have a youth pillar that seeks to spark enchantment in young women and girls through creative problem-solving and play,” she says. “Through our university pillar we seek to remove barriers and create a sustainable movement for the advancement of women in Stem2D degrees, research and beyond. The WiStem2D awards programme is open to female undergraduate students across six universities and we also have a range of apprenticeship programmes in place across our Irish operations.
“Meanwhile, our Re-Ignite programme is for professionals that are ready to return to work after a career break of two years or longer.”