Science Apprentice Review

My apprenticeship involves working on rotation to work in 4 different departments (6months in each). The departments that I have worked in are Beauty Packaging, Suncare Formulation, Food Science and Claims Evaluation. Each job role is extremely varied and therefore the day to day tasks vary. In packaging and formulation you tend to spend around 50% of your time in the office and 50% in the labs. Food Science involves going to visit a lot of suppliers and day to day tasks involve maintaining the quality of our products and developing new products. Claims Evaluation is where we have volunteers in to test our products and ensure that they work and therefore you get to be involved in a lot of market research and a customer facing role.

I have learnt a lot of new skills and learnt a tremendous amount about each of the departments I have worked in. I think one of the biggest areas I have developed since starting at Boots is my confidence. I started at Boots when I was 16 (straight after completing my GCSE's) and therefore was quite shy and nervous initially starting in the work place. Now 18 months on I feel extremely confident and are able to run my own meetings and speak up in large team discussion. The qualification that we study for is a Level BTEC in Applied Science and during studying for this qualification I feel like I have learnt a lot more about science and I am competent to A Level standard. Although, the course doesn't hugely link with what we are working on in the work place I still feel I have learnt a lot from both the course and the work place.

I do really enjoy my programme and the majority of teams that I have worked in have been extremely friendly and welcoming. Most teams do put a lot of working in to helping you learn as much as possible and giving you a lot of opportunities - however, this is dependant on your line manager and therefore some experiences will be better than others. I do feel that I have learnt a lot and enjoyed my time at Boots, however, I do wish we had more of a say in what departments we would like to work in as some of the departments I haven't enjoyed and haven't been the right role for me, but I haven't been given the opportunity to move elsewhere.

I do feel quite valued at Boots and do get positive feedback from the people I have worked in in my teams. In some teams that I have worked in they really have just treated me like a colleague as anyone else. Whereas, other teams I have felt a bit more that they have treated me like an apprentice rather than an equal colleague. We do have 6 month performance ratings, which can be useful dependant on your line manager. However, sometimes they do feel a bit generic and not detailed feedback and more of a just ticking a box exercise. If you do manage to get a detailed performance rating they can be extremely useful to help you going forward.

The programme is extremely well organised and structured. When we first joined Boots we had a two day induction with all of the apprentices, which helped us to get to know each other and feel more settled in. From day one of starting at Boots, I was aware of all of the departments that I would be working in over the two years and therefore had a clear plan of where I would be and when. I have weekly 1 - 2 - 1's with my line manager and monthly catch ups with my apprentice lead, which are extremely useful to be able to report anything you may not be happy about or to request extra support/learning.

We do receive quite a lot of support from our training provider. Our NVQ assessor comes in to our workplace every 8 weeks for a meeting with ourself and our line manager to discuss future goals and ensure that you are on track with all of your work. Sometimes, when you have an issue with assignments or particular lecturers problems can take quite a long time to sort out and resolve. However, Boots are quite good at supporting you and chasing up issues with the college for you as well.

We do receive quite a lot of support from our team managers and also our apprentice lead. We have weekly catch ups with our line manager and monthly catch ups with our apprentice lead. These are extremely useful and are a really good opportunity for you to be able to raise any issues that you may have. We don't receive must support from HR though, which sometimes can be an issue if you have a problem about your programme that you feel you aren't able to talk to with people who work in that department.

I think that the salary is extremely generous for our age group and experience. I still live at home and therefore my salary easily covers my travel costs, allows me to save quite a lot and have a good spendable income too. However, if I was living on my own and therefore had rent and bills to pay - the salary might not stretch as far and your spendable income probably won't feel that high.

Boots do get involved in in quite a lot of charity events that you are able to sign up to. During my 18 months at Boots I have worked at the Children in Need Call Centre, taken part in a children in need 5km obstacle course and completed a Midnight Climb of Ben Nevis for Macmillan. There are always different events that you are able to sign up to and get involved in and they are a really good way to be able to meet people from different departments and socialise more.

Yes

I would recommend Boots to a friend because I feel that it has been a really good experience working for Boots, it has massively increased my confidence and given me vital experience to help me with my future career. I think it is a brilliant place to start your career as it is an extremely friendly environment and there are always people who will be able to help you if you need any support.

The application process is quite simple and just consisted of an online application form, followed by an assessment centre. On the applciation form I would be as detailed as possible and really try and show your passion for science. Also, be sure to explain what skills you have gained from things you have been involved in e.g. part time work, sports teams and Duke of Edinburgh. For you interview just prepare examples for areas that are common interview questions e.g. working in a team, greatest achievement etc. Most importantly be yourself and be confident. They are not expected you to have prior experience or knowledge about Science at Boots, they are just looking for someone who is confident, willingness to learn and ambitious.