The Industry Skills Certificate is a new initiative by the Royal Society of Biology, designed to support the employability of scientists into industry, either for the first time or from academia. The certificate will recognise a set of skills and knowledge gained through the participation in online and in-person training courses, which in addition to existing qualifications, can support a career move into industry.

Extensive research and advice from the RSB's Employer Advisory Network (EAN) has determined the courses we have selected for this certificate. EAN is a direct interface between employers/industry and the Royal Society of Biology, which allows us to understand industry requirements better.

The Industry Skills Certificate supports applicants working towards Registered Scientist (RSci) status by supporting development in one or more of the following competency areas:

• Application of knowledge and understanding
• Personal responsibility
• Interpersonal skills
• Professional practice
• Professional standards

Participants can register with the RSB’s CPD scheme to further develop their skills and keep a record of their progress. If you are a PhD student, early career researcher or postdoctoral researcher, then this is the perfect programme to learn new skills or to upskill in areas you have an interest in.

Certificate Requirements:

To achieve the certificate, you must undertake a minimum of five courses within a 24-month period. If this time period has been delayed by the availability of courses then this can be flexible. You can begin at any time by enrolling in your first course. Once you have completed your chosen courses you will be required to contact training@rsb.org.uk to verify your participation and to be awarded your Industry Skills Certificate.

Some courses are currently in development and require you to 'register your interest' to complete at a later date.

At least five courses must be taken from:

In-person courses

• Programming for Biologists
• Leadership in a Laboratory Environment
• Introduction to Reproducible Analyses in R
• Navigating the Patent System for Biologists
• Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning for Biological Application
• An Introduction to Pharmacokinetics in Drug Development
• Laboratory Health and Safety (& COSHH)

Online courses (via myLearning)

• Core Business Skills for Biologists

To view our current courses that are available to book, please click here, and to view our online courses please go to myLearning. To register your interest in these courses please email us at training@rsb.org.uk.

Fees 

The fees will vary based on the courses you select and whether or not you are a member of the Royal Society of Biology.

If you are an organisation and would like to register staff in bulk for this certificate, or require any further information please contact our training and registers officer or call 0203 925 3457.