New investment in science skills and training announced

The government has announced a 52 million pound investment in new and emerging talent within the UK science sectors.

Working alongside the Science Industry Partnership (SIP), the government aims to create more than 7,800 education and skills opportunities over a two-year period, including 1,360 apprenticeships, 240 traineeships, 150 industry degrees, 230 masters modules and 5,900 workforce development opportunities.

Meanwhile, efforts will also be made to make jobs related to science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines more attractive to young people.

The government will be contributing 32.6 million pounds, with 20 million pounds coming from employers, in addition to 31 million pounds' worth of in-kind contributions.

University and science minister David Willetts said: "The science-based industries are critical to our future prosperity – and higher skills are the key driver of their competitiveness. Our investment will help the industry to take the lead investing in the skills they need."

The SIP is a new consortium of around 100 leading science sector employers, led by GlaxoSmithKline and including numerous life science-focused organisations such as BD, Pfizer, Novartis, UCB Celltech, Sera Laboratories and many others.