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The Skills Gap in Biotechnology Jobs: What Universities Aren’t Teaching
Biotechnology sits at the intersection of science, innovation and real-world impact. From life-saving medicines and diagnostics to sustainable agriculture, industrial bioprocessing and personalised healthcare, biotech plays a critical role in the UK economy. Yet despite strong graduate numbers and world-class universities, employers across the biotechnology sector continue to report a growing skills gap. Vacancies remain unfilled. Graduates struggle to secure their first roles. Hiring managers cite a lack of job-ready candidates. The issue is not intelligence or academic ability. It is preparation. Universities are producing scientifically knowledgeable graduates who are often not ready for modern biotechnology jobs. This article explores the biotechnology skills gap in depth: what universities teach well, what is missing from many degrees, why the gap exists, what employers actually want, and how jobseekers can bridge the divide to build sustainable careers in biotech.
Biotechnology Jobs for Career Switchers in Their 30s, 40s & 50s (UK Reality Check)
Biotechnology is often portrayed as a young person’s game. White lab coats, fresh PhDs & long academic pipelines dominate the image. In reality, the UK biotechnology sector relies heavily on career switchers, mid-career professionals & people bringing experience from outside science. If you are in your 30s, 40s or 50s & thinking about moving into biotechnology, this article gives you a clear-eyed, UK-specific reality check. No hype. No Americanised career myths. Just an honest look at which biotech jobs are realistic, what retraining actually involves & how employers really think about age & background.
How to Write a Biotechnology Job Ad That Attracts the Right People
Biotechnology is one of the UK’s most diverse and fast-moving sectors. From biopharma and diagnostics to industrial biotech, medtech and life sciences research, employers are competing for highly specialised talent with scarce, in-demand skills. Yet many biotechnology employers struggle with the same problem: job adverts that attract the wrong candidates. Roles are often flooded with unsuitable applications, while highly qualified scientists, engineers and regulatory professionals either do not apply or disengage early in the process. In most cases, the issue is not the talent pool — it is the job advert itself. Biotechnology professionals are trained to think critically, assess evidence and understand context. If a job ad is vague, inflated or poorly targeted, it signals a lack of clarity and credibility — and strong candidates simply move on. This guide explains how to write a biotechnology job ad that attracts the right people, improves applicant quality and positions your organisation as a serious, trustworthy employer in the life sciences sector.