Case study: How GSK R&D are utilising Data and AI apprenticeships to empower their Scientists with key digital skills

How skills development within the R&D sector is benefitting GSK teams and their customers at a rapid pace.

GSK’s approach to Pharmaceutical Research and Development (R&D) focuses on science related to the immune system, the use of human genetics and advanced technologies, and is driven by the multiplier effect of Science x Technology x Culture. The GSK Data Academy allows employees based in England to live up to the organisation’s ethos by upskilling its employees with key digital skills. 

Accelerating Learning & Development potential 

In May 2021, Hazel Lawson Harrison, a Senior Scientist in the R&D department at GSK, enrolled onto our Level 4 Data Analyst apprenticeship.

The Data Analyst programme equips learners with an advanced skill set to source, manipulate, extract and visualise data using Python. The application of these new technical skills has yielded some impressive outcomes for Hazel.

The skills I have learnt have resulted in time saved on manual data processing and data collation, increased ability to query data in response to specific customer requests, ability to provide customers access to data more easily and enable effective communication of data to stakeholders through data visualisation platforms”

Hazel Lawson Harrison, Senior Scientist and L4 Data Analyst Apprentice

Technical skills development in the Scientific space

A scientific mindset teamed with a data-driven skill set allows for an insight driven employee.  Hazel’s Line Manager Jim Harvey says

“Complex experimental data sets generated within R&D are becoming more accessible to scientists; however these individuals do not always have the necessary skill sets to analyse them using modern analytical approaches. While all R&D scientists have the opportunity to increase their data analytics skills, this apprenticeship offers focused “hands on'' training that accelerates an individual's development.”

Jim Harvey, Director 

When asked if he would recommend this apprenticeship programme to other Team Leaders at GSK, his answer was yes.

R&D scientists need to have sufficient analytics skills to perform core descriptive analytics to exploit existing and novel data sets to improve decision making - from there they can progress in multiple directions e.g. diagnostic or even predictive analytics"

Jim Harvey, Director