Laboratory Apprentice Review

I am a Laboratory Apprentice working in Biopharm R&D at GSK Stevenage. I perform routine experiments and lab work such as culturing cells, processing tissues, and assisting senior scientists in larger experiments.

Practically, I have learned many scientific skills and processes that help me carry out my role and be an active part of the team. Academically, I have been working towards an FdSc in Applied Bioscience Technology with Medway School of Pharmacy as part of flexible distance learning.

The working environment and atmosphere is very supportive, and makes coming into work enjoyable rather than stressful. The work in the lab is always exciting and I feel at the cutting edge of research and development. I initially thought I'd be doing more watching than getting involved, but staff always look to get me engaged and helping out practically.

My manager often looks for opportunities to praise me in front of other colleagues, which makes me feel like my contributions are appreciated by the team. Occasionally I have received financial bonuses for exceptional work, which is a great incentive to work harder and go the extra mile. My team have also nominated me for external recognition initiatives, which makes me feel the whole group support me and value my contributions.

Initially, the structure wasn't so present as I was one of the first apprentices to join the department. However after a few months the program was very much in place. I received both formal and informal training at work for scientific and business skills, and receive constant support from my manager. The university course is also well structured, with clear modules and chapters to direct one's learning.

I'm always able to email my tutors questions or queries, and they're usually good at responding soon. I would appreciate seeing them in the flesh more often however - I only get to see them once a year at summer school. Despite this, any difficulties I have are usually resolved quickly.

My manager supports me at every step of my apprenticeship, and often asks if there is anything she could do to improve my working life. Any HR problems can usually be sorted within one or two working days using internal messaging. Overall, the whole department know that I'm here to study and learn so they all support me by not giving me too much lab work.

My salary was modest to begin with, but increases every six months. This combined with generous annual bonuses means my current salary is very reasonable, especially as I live at home.

There are often company social events for networking after work. There is an onsite gym and several classes you can take if you choose. Every year, employees are allowed an 'orange day' to volunteer for a charity of their choice.

Yes

This apprenticeship has allowed me to pursue an academic qualification in a supportive environment, whilst gaining a wealth of practical scientific skills and work experience.

Interviewers are more interested in your 'soft skills' than raw academic qualifications and grades. If you can demonstrate the GSK expectations and be a good person and team player, this will be very valuable in the interviews.