A new partnership is helping to build the future biopharma workforce in Hertfordshire, giving students hands-on industry experience, expert mentoring and clear career pathways into one of the region’s fastest-growing sectors.
West Herts College and Kedrion Biopharma in Elstree have joined forces to inspire learners and develop the skills needed to support cutting-edge science, including treatments for rare and ultra-rare diseases.
Amanda Washbrook, Deputy Principal at West Herts College, said:
“Kedrion is a world-leading biopharma company. This career partnership is really valuable to the college because it will provide an opportunity for our learners to understand about the great employment opportunities on their doorstep. We hope that this will help Kedrion to form a really robust workforce pipeline from our graduates.”
Through workshops, mentoring and hands-on experiences, students are gaining practical knowledge, exploring career pathways and building the skills needed to succeed in a high-tech, life-saving sector.
Professor Tim Sandle, Head of Compliance in Kedrion Biopharma UK, said:
“It’s valuable for students to gain this knowledge when they enter the workplace because courses are really good at teaching science and the technical aspects, but there’s a whole host of things which are not necessarily clear from the outset in terms of what it’s really like to work in the pharmaceutical industry.
There are so many talented young people out there. Reaching out to them is a way of inspiring them. For students who have an inquiring mind, working in the pharmaceutical sector can be really rewarding. You can take an idea, you can then try and treat a rare disease and you can get the satisfaction of ending up with a finished product that enhances people’s lives.”
Students involved have already gained valuable insight into the breadth of opportunities within pharmaceutical careers.
One student, Amelia, completing a Level 3 BTEC in Applied Science said:
“It definitely helped to broaden my understanding of where you can go after taking an entry-level position. I found it interesting to talk about what procedures they have to follow when they work in the labs and in management and also in development stages. It’s an industry I was already interested in in the first place, so it was great to get a bit more insight.”
Fellow student, Tommaso, commented:
“It showed me that the world isn't so linear. It's actually possible to go from one place to another in the same company. It has definitely pushed me closer to maybe working in a lab.”
By connecting education with real‑world industry needs, this collaboration supports not only individual student success but also the resilience of a life‑science workforce poised to contribute to innovation and patient care now and in the future.
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