GSK made Gold Corporate Partner

ICHEME has announced that healthcare company GSK is its newest Gold Corporate Partner.

The award recognises GSK’s commitment to inspiring the next generation of engineers as well as enhancing the technical skills of its employees and providing support for them to become professionally qualified.

It was presented by Jon Prichard, IChemE’s Chief Executive, and Stephen Richardson, IChemE’s Incoming Deputy President, to Luisa Freitas dos Santos, VP, Clinical Supply Chain, David Lynch, Head of Engineering and EHS, and Ian Kemp, Scientific Leader at GSK.

GSK runs an Engineering Ambassador scheme which aims to encourage school students to consider careers in chemical engineering. The school outreach programme includes workshops and experience days on topics ranging from toothpaste manufacturing to DNA extraction.

Its work experience scheme, in collaboration with the Prince’s Trust, organised site tours, educational games, and shadowing work in chemical engineering for more than 80 students aged 16 to 24 in 2016 and 2017. It also provides both summer and 12-month work placements to university graduates, and sponsors PhD programmes at the Continuous Manufacturing and Crystallisation Centre (CMAC) Future Manufacturing Research Hub.

GSK runs a successful IChemE Accredited Company Training Scheme (ACTS) for chemical engineers where 35 mentors support and guide its 61 graduates and early-career engineers through their professional development.

Prichard said: “Through both its everyday work and its various outreach activities, GSK is demonstrating how the contribution of chemical engineers benefits society. It is through this work that they are inspiring the next generation of chemical engineers, advancing research areas, and developing new technologies. They actively support their employees in becoming Chartered Chemical Engineers and clearly recognise the importance of continued professional development. This is further demonstrated by the chemical engineers themselves, who offer their time so generously to IChemE as volunteer qualification assessors, technical advisors, and special interest group members. I’m delighted to welcome them as IChemE Gold Corporate Partners.”

Luisa Freitas dos Santos said: “We are delighted that IChemE has awarded GSK the Gold Corporate Partner status. This recognises our overall enhancement of the profession, supporting our engineers, participating in IChemE working groups to tackle specific discipline-related objectives, and reaching out to the community to promote STEM education and encouraging future career choices in engineering. At GSK we support all our engineers to attain Chartered Chemical Engineer status and encourage them to contribute to nurturing the next generation of chemical engineers.”