REDI Impact Report: Improving Workforce Skills in Australia's Medical Products Sector
As MTPConnect’s Researcher Exchange and Development within Industry (REDI) initiative moves to completion, a new report has been released capturing the program’s impact in successfully developing and growing Australia’s life sciences sector workforce.
Over the last three and a half years, REDI has delivered training, mentoring and industry placements to more than 8,400 participants across Australia, nearly double the original target.
The report – ‘Improving workforce skills in Australia’s medical products sector’ – was launched at a workforce capability roundtable at the BIO2024 conference in San Diego, US, with sector professionals and industry leaders from around the world in attendance.
MTPConnect’s REDI initiative has succeeded in providing researchers with a diverse range of industry experiences and exposure to entrepreneurism, delivering:
- Overall participation from 8,423 stakeholders, 79 per cent above original target
- A sought-after fellowship program with 49 sector professionals placed with research-intensive companies in Australia and around the world
- Three comprehensive skills gap analysis reports
- 48 targeted training programs in sought-after skills like Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) and Quality Management Systems (QMS)
- GMP skills for 400 new entrants and experienced manufacturing professionals
- QMS training for 1,249 sector professionals
- Innovation training for 119 clinician entrepreneurs – nurses, allied health professionals and doctors.
With REDI now concluded, the challenge remains to ensure growing and scaling SMEs can access the skilled staff they need, in Australia, to get their products to market and ultimately to patients.
Launched in 2020, the REDI program is an initiative of the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) delivered by MTPConnect, Australia’s Life Sciences Innovation Accelerator. The report captures compelling experiences from across the program.