Skill gap: Pharma sector has only six per cent researchers with PhD degrees
Updated: Apr 18, 2013 01:24:04pm
New Delhi, Apr 18 (KNN) Merely five to six per cent of about 12 lakh people employed in the Indian pharmaceutical sector are holding post-graduate and doctorate degrees, a report of the government appointed expert group has found.
“Total number of skilled manpower employed in the pharmaceutical sector is about 12 lakh currently, out of which only five-six per cent people have doctorate degree, skill which is highly specialised involving research and design,” said a report on evaluation of the ongoing Assistance to Training Institutions (ATI) scheme of the Ministry of MSME.
Requirements of higher skill and training in this sector are much higher due to activities involving research, automated processes and lab apart from sector being under regulatory purview and requiring compliance to strict production and safety requirements, according to the report.
In the sector, workmen with minimal education standard of 12th pass are about 20-25 per cent, supervisors who have graduate degrees are about 25–30 per cent but researchers having doctorate degrees are only about five-six per cent,” said the report.
The report on ongoing ATI scheme also said, projected requirement of manpower and skills needed, based on changing industry needs and business environment by the year 2022 is estimated to be about 25 lakh.
In order to evaluate skill gaps existing in the pharmaceutical sector, a study named Human Resource and Skill Requirements for Chemicals and Pharmaceutical sector prepared by the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) said workmen at lower level should be able to operate processing equipment and package products.
Workmen need to have technical machine knowledge, comply with Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and quality standards. They need to be trained in such a manner that they can identify problems like unusual noises, functioning of machines, undertake maintenance and repair machines to minimise shutdowns.
Lab technicians must have the ability to maintain laboratory equipment, monitor experiments, analyse data, record and interpret results. They must be able to create molecules and test them rapidly for desirable properties.
“Skill gaps at lower level in pharmaceuticals sector for workmen includes inadequate knowledge of chemical compounds and laboratory testing processes, inadequate practical orientation and exposure to machines, high degree of handholding required and inadequate ability to work in the clean room, air handling units and current goofs,” said the report.
Similarly, lab technicians have insufficient knowledge of compliance to processes and lack of technical knowledge of good laboratory practices.
According to the report, focus areas for skill building includes knowledge of active pharmaceutical ingredient and formulations, cleanliness, hygiene, compliance to manufacturing practises standards, World Health Organisation guidelines, understanding of standards operating procedures and handling the waste.
In order to tone up the level of pharmaceutical education and research, the government has declared National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER) as an institute of national importance.
The Institute is conceived to provide leadership in pharmaceutical sciences and related areas and is a member of the Association of Indian Universities and Association of Commonwealth Universities.
NIPER can provide specialised training to drug regulatory staff, government analysts, technical and analytical staff from small industries.
It can provide training in standardisation of herbal products, macro and micro-propagation of medicinal plants, separation techniques, modern analytical techniques for quality assurance, impurity profiles of bulk pharmaceutical chemicals and their formulations, degradation chemistry and stability testing of drugs and pharmaceuticals, bioavailability and bioequivalence of pharmaceutical dosage forms, primary drug screenings, synthesis and technology of chiral drugs etc. (KNN)
“Total number of skilled manpower employed in the pharmaceutical sector is about 12 lakh currently, out of which only five-six per cent people have doctorate degree, skill which is highly specialised involving research and design,” said a report on evaluation of the ongoing Assistance to Training Institutions (ATI) scheme of the Ministry of MSME.
Requirements of higher skill and training in this sector are much higher due to activities involving research, automated processes and lab apart from sector being under regulatory purview and requiring compliance to strict production and safety requirements, according to the report.
In the sector, workmen with minimal education standard of 12th pass are about 20-25 per cent, supervisors who have graduate degrees are about 25–30 per cent but researchers having doctorate degrees are only about five-six per cent,” said the report.
The report on ongoing ATI scheme also said, projected requirement of manpower and skills needed, based on changing industry needs and business environment by the year 2022 is estimated to be about 25 lakh.
In order to evaluate skill gaps existing in the pharmaceutical sector, a study named Human Resource and Skill Requirements for Chemicals and Pharmaceutical sector prepared by the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) said workmen at lower level should be able to operate processing equipment and package products.
Workmen need to have technical machine knowledge, comply with Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and quality standards. They need to be trained in such a manner that they can identify problems like unusual noises, functioning of machines, undertake maintenance and repair machines to minimise shutdowns.
Lab technicians must have the ability to maintain laboratory equipment, monitor experiments, analyse data, record and interpret results. They must be able to create molecules and test them rapidly for desirable properties.
“Skill gaps at lower level in pharmaceuticals sector for workmen includes inadequate knowledge of chemical compounds and laboratory testing processes, inadequate practical orientation and exposure to machines, high degree of handholding required and inadequate ability to work in the clean room, air handling units and current goofs,” said the report.
Similarly, lab technicians have insufficient knowledge of compliance to processes and lack of technical knowledge of good laboratory practices.
According to the report, focus areas for skill building includes knowledge of active pharmaceutical ingredient and formulations, cleanliness, hygiene, compliance to manufacturing practises standards, World Health Organisation guidelines, understanding of standards operating procedures and handling the waste.
In order to tone up the level of pharmaceutical education and research, the government has declared National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER) as an institute of national importance.
The Institute is conceived to provide leadership in pharmaceutical sciences and related areas and is a member of the Association of Indian Universities and Association of Commonwealth Universities.
NIPER can provide specialised training to drug regulatory staff, government analysts, technical and analytical staff from small industries.
It can provide training in standardisation of herbal products, macro and micro-propagation of medicinal plants, separation techniques, modern analytical techniques for quality assurance, impurity profiles of bulk pharmaceutical chemicals and their formulations, degradation chemistry and stability testing of drugs and pharmaceuticals, bioavailability and bioequivalence of pharmaceutical dosage forms, primary drug screenings, synthesis and technology of chiral drugs etc. (KNN)
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