Life Science Sector Skill Development Council (LSSSDC), established under the auspices of Ministry of Skill Development has mandated Mumbai-based Pollux to upgrade skill-sets among emerging pharmacists to bridge the industry-academia gap.

According to LSSSDC estimates, the employment opportunities in the pharma sector for chemists in quality assurance, quality control and production along with medical representative will double to 657,432 from the prevailing 316,619 on pan India basis over the next eight years by 2024.  In Maharashtra alone, the workforce is expected to surge to 197,232 from 94,987 during the same period of eight years.

Sharing his perspective, Ranjit Madan, chief executive officer, LSSSDC, said, “Following a cluster focused approach, the Council has successfully identified Training Partners in Baddi, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Ahmedabad and now Pollux in Mumbai. We have absolute confidence that Pollux will, starting early 2017, begin developing a pool of high quality workforce for one of the largest clusters of Life Sciences activity in the country, thus giving an impetus to growth of this critical sector.”

Expressing gratitude for having been entrusted with this nation-building task, Pollux LLP, CEO, Hemant Deshpande said, “India has strongly established itself as a low-cost producer for not only quality but also affordable drugs in the world. The challenge however remains to maintain this position not only by following stringent global regulatory norms but also develop workforce both in qualitative and quantitative terms for which we have developed two-tier training modules for under graduates and graduates of pharmacy and science.”

 Over the past two years since its establishment, the council jointly with the industry has developed about 50 “National Occupation Standards”, which defines the skill-sets needed to perform the major job roles in the pharmaceutical sector, Madan said.

On a pan-India basis, the council aims to certify skilled workforce of 21 lakh over the next 10 years.

“The thrust would be to create industry specific talent pool by not only imparting knowledge but also improving the employability of pharmacy graduates including soft skills. This process would facilitate smooth transition from education to employment of these pharmacy graduates and in the process reduce the burden on the corporate to mould the new recruits,” said Deshpande, with over three decades of experience in the pharmaceutical domain.

LSSSDC has been working hand in hand with the members of the pharmaceutical industry including Abbott, Ajanta Pharma, Aurobindo, Baxter, Bayer, Bharat Biotech, BIocon, Cadila Pharma, Wockhardt and Pharmexcil among several others.

Pollux led by Hemant Deshpande with over three decades of experience provides professional solutions including skills development exclusively for the pharmaceutical industry.

LSSSDC creates a robust and vibrant eco-system for development of a skilled workforce matching globally recognized standards for Life Sciences Sector in India. This will provide meaningful livelihood opportunities to a multitude of people in Pharmaceuticals, Bio Technology and Clinical Research space in India. LSSSDC seeks to address this by focusing on sector-specific competencies/skills, quality assurance through accreditation of skills acquired by trainees, curriculum development for skills training, qualification framework and setting of standards and benchmarks, aiding in recruitment and placement of trained and skilled workforce, and becoming a repository of information.