RoslinCT will provide advanced therapy and vaccine manufacturing training in collaboration with the Scottish Universities Life Sciences Alliance.

According to Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult (CGTC), employment in the UK cell and gene therapy space will need to double to more than 6,000 by 2024 to support the number of advance therapies moving into and through the clinic.

To meet this need, the Advanced Therapies Skills Training Network  (ATSTN) initiative was formed to drive the sector and create economic opportunities with industry focused training and employment, with contract development manufacturing organization (CDMO) RoslinCT coming on board as a national training center for advanced therapy and vaccine manufacturing.

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There are five practical courses on offer that last for five days and are limited to 15 people and two-day training courses available by iBioIC, Napier University and Ayshire College. The training courses associated with the ATSTN will be subsidised.

“The training offered will be addressing clean Room Gowning & Behaviours, Aseptic Processing, Microbiology & Environmental Monitoring, Cleaning Techniques, Cell Culture/Processing, Introduction to GMP, GMP Data Recording and Data Integrity, Upstream and Downstream processing in GMP,” Matthew Durdy, CEO of Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult told BioProcess Insider.

Durdy continued: “[they] are all beneficial to both the cell and gene therapy and the vaccine manufacturing industry.”

The training provided is targeted at individuals who are already in the industry but looking to upskill their vaccine and advanced therapies manufacturing, as well as the program catering for new people to industry with introductory courses.

Typically this type of training requires a “blended approach including both individual, group, online, classroom and practical courses,” said Durdy.

Durdy discussed the importance for “principles and regulations that need to be explained and understood to practical implementation of those in the laboratory environment,” adding “initiatives such as the ATSTN allow for learners to access all the necessary resources in one place.”

He added: “Through increasing the connectivity of existing industry related training resources, whilst building new pathways, educational programmes and specific training content, the ATSTN is able to support the uptake of new talent from different sectors whilst upskilling existing staff to minimise these present skill gaps.”

RoslinCT joins the National Horizons Center and Birmingham University to deliver training courses as part of the ATSTN program.