Global Healthcare leader MSD, in association with the National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training (NIBRT), has formed a partnership with Institute of Technology, Sligo to provide a groundbreaking educational training programme for the workforce at their Brinny plant in West Cork.
The Continuing Education Programme in Brinny is part of MSD’s commitment to supporting science education and research in Ireland as it takes a central role in the country’s future as a knowledge-based economy.
John Howell, General Manager, MSD in Brinny said “Transformation is a key driver in securing the future of our business in Ireland and investing in the education of our employees is paramount to the success of this transformation process. At MSD in Brinny we continue to be committed to developing talent and enabling our people to enhance their skills so that we are in a position to attract further investment to Ireland. The support of Government to industry in these initiatives is key to the future success of the life sciences sector in Ireland.”
The courses available include; a Higher Certificate in Science, a Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Science, a Bachelor of Science in Biopharmaceutical Science and a Masters in Biopharmaceutical Science.
All of the courses, which are delivered primarily through online learning, have been designed to cater for the particular needs of adult learners and the programmes are designed, developed and delivered by a NIBRT/IT Sligo team of experienced trainers with a wide range of industry experience. MSD hope to register up to 60 people for the programme this year with the aim of starting another rotation in 2012.
IT Sligo’s Head of School of Science, Dr Jeremy Bird, said “IT Sligo’s online learning delivery method provides a platform which has the potential to be applied widely in industry. Our online courses provide such a degree of flexibility that it is possible for workers and students to take our courses from anywhere in the world. This flexibility is crucial in the workplace at the moment, because it provides companies and employees with the opportunity to update their skills without leaving the workplace, allowing them to maintain their competitiveness. Our close links with NIBRT enable us to jointly offer a programme of a high academic standard, while being very focused towards the industry’s educational requirements.”
Prof Ian Marison, Director of NIBRT expressed the importance of such training programmes for the Irish pharmaceutical industry and how NIBRT can bring together important partners from across Ireland, including this one with ITSligo, to provide tailored, fully accredited training programmes to suit industry’s needs now and in a developing, very competitive industrial environment. “MSD has taken a great initiative in providing their workforce with programmes which allow everyone, from operators to senior management, to develop their skills and careers. This plays a pivotal role in promoting the knowledge-based economy within Ireland. NIBRT fully supports this initiative and will work closely with MSD to achieve a high calibre programme which will benefit the company and enhance Ireland’s reputation as being at the forefront of the (bio)pharmaceutical industry”.
The Continuing Education Programme is fully funded by MSD in conjunction with the IDA, so there is no financial cost to employees. The company plans to role out similar education initiatives in conjunction with NIBRT to employees at several of the other 7 MSD sites in Ireland in the coming months.
Caption for attached photo: (L-R) Ian Nelligan, Technical and Training Director with NIBRT; Fergal O’Donovan. Technical Services Director with MSD Brinny; and Kieran Tobin, Lecturer, IT Sligo.