The double award winning Advanced Therapies Apprenticeship Community (ATAC) is the first apprenticeship programme designed specifically to train and upskill individuals in developing, manufacturing and delivering innovative therapies at scale. ATAC is coordinated by the Cell and Gene Therapy (CGT) Catapult, an independent innovation and technology organisation committed to the advancement of the cell and gene therapy industry. You can find more about CGT Catpult on their website here.

What does ATAC do?

ATAC works with apprentices, employers and training providers to support industry-focused apprenticeships in advanced therapies, complex medicines and wider medicines manufacturing.

Consult. We work with organisations across medicines manufacturing to identify industry need and bridge skills gaps.

Design. We work with training providers to design specialist pathways and modular content to meet industry needs.

Attract. We raise the profile of the sector to attract talented individuals and ensure a pipeline of talent to fill job vacancies for employers.

Advise. We provide valuable advice to employers and their apprentices pre-programme, whilst on programme and afterwards.

Enrich. We draw on our network of employers and support to deliver a programme of enrichment activities to enhance the on-programme experience for apprentices and their managers.

Why skills matter in advanced therapies and complex medicines

Advanced therapies and complex medicines offer the potential to transform the treatment of serious and previously untreatable conditions. By targeting the root causes of disease, these therapies can significantly improve patient outcomes where traditional pharmaceuticals fall short. The UK is positioned at the forefront of this disruptive field, with a unique opportunity to build a globally competitive industry that delivers both health benefits and economic growth.

The success of the medicines manufacturing industry relies on a workforce equipped with the right skills to develop, manufacture, and deliver these innovative therapies. As the sector matures and moves closer to large-scale manufacturing and wider spread patient delivery, demand for specialist skills is growing rapidly. However, the supply of individuals with the required expertise struggles to keep pace, creating a significant skills gap. This shortage is making it increasingly difficult for companies to recruit and retain talent, ultimately limiting the industry’s ability to grow and scale.

Responding to industry needs through strategic skills initiatives

Research by the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult (CGT Catapult) highlights the critical skills required for industry to adopt emerging technologies and strengthen collaboration with education and training systems. Workforce forecasting and foresighting research show that companies face significant barriers in areas such as manufacturing, quality control, and digital automation, all of which demand targeted upskilling across the sector.

To address these challenges, CGT Catapult delivers targeted skills programmes, including ATAC, in partnership with industry, academia, and technology providers.

Read more about anticipated industry growth and skills needs in the UK Cell and Gene Therapy Skills Demand Report 2023 and Innovate UK’s Workforce Foresighting Report on Digitalisation and Automation for Cell and Gene Therapy. While these reports focus on cell and gene therapies, similar trends are expected across other innovative medicine types.

The history of ATAC

2018

Launched in 2018 with £1.5 million in funding from the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund, ATAC was created in response to industry recommendations from the Advanced Therapies Manufacturing Taskforce. Its mission was to develop a sustainable pipeline of skilled professionals, from manufacturing operatives to technical specialists and researchers, to support the growth of the UK’s advanced therapies manufacturing sector.

2021

A further £0.5 million was awarded in 2021 to expand the initiative and follow-on funding was secured in 2021 to continue this vital work. Building on ATAC’s success, CGT Catapult secured an additional £4.7 million to launch the Advanced Therapies Skills Training Network (ATSTN), which has since evolved into the Life Sciences Learner Hub. This programme supports professional development for those new to the broader medicines manufacturing landscape, as well as those currently working within it.

2022

In 2022, ATAC received two prestigious awards: the Princess Royal Training Award and the BioIndustry Association (BIA) Richard Wilson Impact Award — the latter voted for by industry peers. These awards reflect the commitment of pioneering employers, funders, and the amazing apprentices themselves. So far the programme has supported almost 400 apprentices and collaborated with over 60 UK employers to support apprenticeships across 23 programmes. 

Tomorrow

CGT Catapult remains a strategic partner to industry, co-developing apprenticeship standards and continuing professional development (CPD) programmes that equip the workforce with the expertise needed to manufacture and deliver advanced therapies, biologics, vaccines, and complex medicines such as RNA and oligonucleotides at scale. Scaling talent for the future of medicine.

Our ever-growing community of employers and training providers are delivering apprenticeships in the advanced therapy and vaccine manufacturing industry across the UK.

To use this interactive map, simply click on a pin to learn more. When you click on a pin, a pop-up window will appear providing additional information about the employers and training partners who are already part of our apprenticeships community. Make sure to zoom in on the map to discover all the pins.
EMPLOYER TRAINING PROVIDER

Meet the ATAC team

Kathy Varley

Head of L&D and Talent

Tom Sims

Skills Support Programme Manager

Keely Parker

Senior Finance & Project Coordinator

Joe Camden

ATAC Project Support Officer

Apprenticeships FAQs

  • What are apprenticeships?

    • An apprenticeship allows an individual to combine work and study by mixing on-the-job training with formal learning. Providing a fantastic opportunity to improve their career prospects, whether at the start of their career, or expanding their skills and experience within the workplace. For employers, apprenticeships offer a number of benefits including overcoming skills shortages, retention and attracting new talent.

    An apprenticeship is made up of several components that are put together to create a ‘standard’, which, when complete, demonstrates occupational competence within the studied area. An apprenticeship programme structure will be a mixture of competencies and skills, knowledge, behaviour and transferable skills. This is a recognised route to show occupational competence.

  • How long do apprenticeships take?

    • The duration of an apprenticeship is outlined within its standard. The actual time scale for completion will be set out in the apprentices Individual Learning Plan (ILP) once formally enrolled with a recognised training provider; considering any prior experience and learning. Apprenticeships are a minimum of 12 months typically for an intermediate (level 2) programme and can be up to five years for higher (level 4 and 5) and degree (level 6 and 7) apprenticeships.

  • What types of apprenticeships are available?

    • There are various levels ranging from level 2 up to level 7. Across all levels, apprentices work towards work-based learning to demonstrate occupational competence or skills, knowledge, behaviour and functional skills. An overview of the levels and equivalencies are:

    Intermediate Apprenticeship
    Level 2 programme
    Equivalent to 5 GCSE passes at grades A* to C or grades 9 to 4

    Advanced Apprenticeship
    Level 3 programme
    Equivalent to 2 A Level passes

    Higher Apprenticeship
    Levels 4 and 5 programmes
    Equivalent to a HNC (for Level 4) or HND or a Foundation Degree (for Level 5)

    Degree Apprenticeship
    Levels 6 and 7 programmes
    Equivalent to a Bachelor’s Degree or Postgraduate Diploma (Level 6) or a Master’s Degree (Level 7)

  • How are apprenticeships structured?

    • The programme of an apprenticeship requires five aspects to be successfully completed. This may vary depending on the standard being completed, therefore the actual structure and the assessment methods used will differ. The actual structure would therefore be discussed with the apprentice, once formally enrolled on the programme with the chosen registered training provider and end-point assessment organisation.

    Competence or skills
    The competence/skills part is made up of several elements; each describes activities that the apprentice will need to demonstrate at work. The apprentice must be competent in all criteria before being signed as complete. To show that the apprentice can demonstrate the standard requirements, they may be required to gather a portfolio of evidence. The training provider will discuss what can be used as evidence throughout the programme and to achieve the end-point assessment.

    Knowledge
    This section is made up of different elements and may reflect the competence and theoretical understanding. This enables the apprentice to demonstrate that they have the knowledge and understanding to carry out the work to the level required and why this is required, as outlined within the apprenticeship standard and by their employer. Taught lessons from a training provider may be a requirement for this part.

    Behaviours
    The apprentice will be required to show that they exhibit certain behaviours. Each standard will detail the types of behaviours that will be assessed, such as a range of communication skills, teamwork, autonomy and time management.

    Functional skills
    The apprentice will need to achieve functional skills if they do not hold GCSE (or equivalent) grades at A* to C or grades 9 to 4 in English and mathematics. This is done by demonstrating competence, collecting evidence and/or by passing external examinations. Apprentices may be exempt from completing these functional skills if they hold relevant GCSEs or any other relevant qualifications. The training provider will assess the support needed for this at the start of the programme.

    End-point assessment (EPA)
    Within every apprenticeship standard, there is an EPA that must be achieved to complete the programme. Each standard has an EPA plan, which details the assessments that will be independently undertaken towards the end of the apprenticeship. The EPA can be found on the Institute for Apprenticeships (IfA) webpage.

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