Lab Analyst Review

I am an apprentice laboratory analyst working with the Cephalosporins release laboratories at GSK's Barnard Castle site. My daily activities involve a range of quality assurance testing on a number of products to ensure they are fit for market. I work with a small team og about eight other analysts, we often have to involve people from other teams when we recieve samples that are'nt routine to the lab. I take part in site wide audits and have numerous responsibilities in the lab.

I am currently studying for a degree in chemistry at Teesside university and i am also completing level 2 and 3 NVQ's in laboraotry skills. I take part in numerous training courses on site to help build my knowledge of company policies and procedures. I have built greatly on my existing interpersonal skills, i work better in a team and individually i can adapt my time accordingly, my problem solving skills have greatly improved. My professional skills have also improved greatly after having to communicate with other memebers of staff, often those at a higher level to myself which has also greatly boosted my confidence with people.

I really enjoy the work that i carry out on a daily basis and i am looking forward to broadening my experiences by moving to different labs to become competent in more analytical testing. I have enjoyed the team i have been working in this past year, we all support and help each other well and i believe this helps the lab run well as we all share ideas, thoughts and problems wwe may have which all help the lab to run more smoothly. GSK has been a great company to work for the [ast year, they have been great training opportunities and the work culture is extremely professional which i enjoy.

As an apprentice i felt i wouldnt feel as valued as the other members of the lab however i have been made to feel very welcome and have settled into the lab extremely well. Ihave recieved lots of internal recognition off other team memebers and managers on how well i am coping and i feel like i have proved myself a trustworthy analysts. Im always included in any projects the lab may be having which often includes changing schedules to quickly gather test results fro an urgent production project for example and i feel like i am recognised well for the work i do in relation to this.

I felt like i was inducted well into the programme by making sure all of the right qualifications were met before i was allowed to start. My training began in the lab pretty much straight away by getting all the core training packages completed such as pipetting and laboratory weighing. I was assigned a mentor to help me if i had any problems. I was sent to university once a week and was set away on my level 2 NVQ which was difficult to adapt to at first but i soon got into it. The programme i believe needs more work in relation to the laboratory apprentices to maybe include a solid roation plan for the moving of labs.

The amount of support i have received from TTE was huge, our tutor would often check up on our progress and was always straight there to answer any quries i had about the NVQ work, she had great people skills and always made you want to work your hardest on the given tasks. The support recieved from the university i feel could have been alot better, there seemed to be a lack of support for the part-time students who studies the course and a lack of support for those who were struggling with certain aspects, for me, it was the maths involved.

I receive constant support from my employer, and problems i have are quickly solved and i feel like the whole team has supported me greatly over the past year, my fellow team members address any problems i have and my managers always review my performance and make sure I am coping ok with my work. Overall I am fairly happy with the support i receive.

I believe the salary and all the benefits that go alongside are great. I do travel 65+ miles a day to and from work however for an apprentice the salary i gain covers this with money still to spare. For an aprenticeship I think the salary is reasonable and it's nice to know that it can increase yearly as I hopefully pass my exams and sometime soon get a full time job here at GSK.

As of yet i haven't had many opportunities to do activities outside of work however there are talks of more opportunities next year including apprentice team building days and representing my training provider in schools and colleges which i am eager to be involved in. Occasionally a few people at work will have a drink on a weekend and invite me along, and although this is nice, i wouldn't consider this an opportunity outside of work provided for by the company.

Yes

The programme is one of the best for people with a science based head and who may not want to go to university full time. The salary is pretty good considering apprenticeship wages are so low currently. Yuo gain a lot of skills from the course you go on and everyone at work including employees you work with and managers/supervisors are all really friendly and interested in your likes and how you came to work at GSK.

Prepare for the interview stage well, make sure to think of experiences you have had in the past that could help you if you were to become an apprentice with GSK and also make sure to ask ALL questions you have this will help you make sure it is right for you and will also show you willingness to learn and prove you have good initiative. Enjoy yourself at the same time too!