Section Contents
Skills are the primary reason the UK industry is a world leader in the global market for pharmaceuticals.
Regions and Nations
Scotland
The Cogent industries are widely spread across Scotland, with clusters in the central belt (polymer and chemicals manufacture) and in Aberdeenshire (the oil and gas extraction industry), as well as around the Ineos Refinery at Grangemouth with its associated storage and distribution network. Extending from this the Petrochemical and Polymer industries stretch across Stirlingshire up to Fife and across into Strathclyde and Ayrshire. North Ayrshire and Falkirk chemical and pharmaceutical cluster employers include several well known companies such as Glaxo SmithKline, Ciba Geigy, Roche, Syngenta, Avecia and McFarlan Smith. The nuclear industry has presences in the far North at Dounreay which is being decommissioned; in Ayrshire, East Lothian and Dumfriesshire where there are nuclear power stations and the Ministry of Defence base at Faslane. In the Highlands and Islands, key oil and gas employer clusters are in Orkney and Shetland for oil storage and processing, and in the Cromarty Firth as the premier port for oil rig inspection, repair and maintenance plus the leading service base for the sub-sea industry.
Economic indicators
| Cogent Scotland | Cogent UK | |
|---|---|---|
| Turnover | £28bn | £156bn |
| Cogent GVA | £18bn | £49bn |
| Cogent GVA per employee | £407,159 | £98,394 |
| Number of employees | 50,400 | 500,00 |
| Mean weekly pay** | £577.88 | £381.50 |
Source: Annual Business Inquiry 2005
*UK GVA average per employee £31,419
*Industry estimate of total Cogent employment 906,000
**Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings 2007
18% of turnover in the Cogent sector is generated in Scotland. Scotland contributes 37% or the sector Gross Value Added. The region employs 10% of the Cogent workforce.
Business size
Source: Annual Business Inquiry 2006
The Cogent sector in Scotland has a slightly higher proportion of and large companies (3%). 67% of companies in the region employ one to ten staff.
The skills gap
Source: Labour Force Survey 2007
Key skills issues for the Cogent industries in Scotland:
- 26% deficit of the workforce qualified to Level 2
- 8% deficit of the workforce qualified to Level 3
- Technicians and Operators are key roles in the region and these roles exist at levels 2 and 3.
Occupational profile
Source: Labour Force Survey 2007
Scotland has a larger proportion of Process Operators and Skilled Trades occupations than the UK Cogent sector. 33% of the Cogent workforce in Scotland is employed in Process Operator roles.
Workforce distribution
Source: Labour Force Survey 2007
The sector in the region employs a larger proportion of males than the Cogent sector in the UK. 79% of workers are male.The region employs more part time and temporary workers than the Cogent sector in the UK.
Cogent actions in Scotland
- A significant piece of work underway is the review of Modern Apprenticeships in Scotland with employers.
- Cogent is working with Skills Development Scotland to develop the Scottish elements of the Career Pathways tool.
- We are working with the Scottish Executive to develop an environmental science skills competition, to promote science and the issues around energy development in schools.
- For the Chemical industry, Cogent is working closely with Chemical Sciences Scotland to deliver a strategic plan for the sector in Scotland using our labour market intelligence.