Future Skills Commission
Following the development of the Science Leadership Strategy and the Science Leadership Day in 2023 it was identified that IPEM had several challenges and responsibilities with regards the Future of our workforces, with a need for providing a platform and discussion forum to better understand, prioritise, design and develop the technical and professional workforce of physicists, engineers and technologists in medicine.
A new Commission, the Future Skills Commission is to be established which will deliver relevant actions to IPEM and other relevant bodies to achieve this goal. Ultimately leading to an increase in our offering to support the workforce and building our customer base.
The commission is composed of professionals from diverse backgrounds, experiences, and locations across the workforce. We are still seeking additional representatives, particularly from Industry, Academia, and Private Practice.
During their first session, they explored various sectors within MPCE, identifying current missed opportunities, known problem areas, and, most importantly, the steps needed for future success. It was an engaging session with robust discussions and a shared acknowledgment that, despite our diverse stakeholders, many of the same ideas, issues, and solutions were consistently raised.
While the session did not conclude with a definitive action plan for the workforce's future, the commission now have the framework for real actions that IPEM will undertake and share more broadly soon. These actions will continue to evolve in the coming months and years. They include research initiatives, short-term actions like raising the profile of MPCE and emphasizing professionalism, as well as longer-term goals such as creating unified career pathways for all sectors of the workforce. They also plan to offer training at every stage to ensure that the workforce stays up to date with evolving skillsets.
The commission will, among other things, consider skills gaps (including multidisciplinary skillset and opportunities), discuss and consider changing technologies and outside factors which will affect the industry and consider the overall future clinical, academic and industrial settings for the workforce. Likely Actions could include amendments to existing training or new education provisions, policy and impact development work, guidance documents and engagement pieces.
The Commission will post regular updates on this page and through the IPEM Newsletter. If you have any questions relating to this new Commission or about the process for applying please contact Katherine Bunting, Director of Education and Professional Development via katherine@ipem.ac.uk