Artwork and Design Apprentice Review

I am an Artwork and Design Apprentice based at GlaxoSmithKline Barnard Castle. My day-to-day role involves turning up to an office based environment on time and logging on to my delegated computer. I start my day by performing tasks which have been assigned to me, for example printing out vital information on escalations for the leadership team's accountability meeting. I am then required to interact both by listening empathetically and responsively to fellow colleagues inside the office and at various meetings. Before my rotation in the office, a daily responsibility of mine was to interact on demand calls with hubs all around the world such as LATAM and Northern Europe. In the teams, I am paired with a mentor and manager alongside my line manager for other daily concerns. I have the daily responsibility of an ADP role when engaging in meetings with the team, for example this could be taking actions for the team to perform. In terms of projects, as an apprentice I can be involved with many opportunities to help any members of the team. A project I first offered to get involved with was Colour Standards which was a challenging and time consuming process but gave me some basic office skills which I didn't already have. Every day I follow my calendar on Outlook, which places any meetings that I may have in it. These meetings help to give me a wider understanding of what happens in the team so increasing my knowledge every day. I also get random jobs from members of the site asking if I can help them out with something, such as branding a PowerPoint slide for them. Therefore, with all of this put together I always have things to be getting on with on a day-to-day basis.

As a part of the advanced apprenticeship the qualifications I will gain are as follows: • An Advanced Apprenticeship • An NVQ level 3 qualification • Other industry standard qualifications • Hands-on experience of the whole packaging artwork process • An opportunity to work for one of the largest science-led healthcare companies in the world There are also many training opportunities, for example a 3 day CAD course, working over in the Verona site for 6 months, working in London for 3 months, Outward Bound teamwork adventure for a week, resilience events, careers fairs and many more. Through these courses and training both internal and external I have built up and learnt a wide range of skills for example: • Communication Skills • Working in a team • Confidence • Problem Solving • Planning • Organisation • Perseverance • Ability to work under pressure • Excel Skills • Data Analysis • Basic Proof Reading Skills • So far, I have learnt so much as every day is a school day as everything is brand new and I'm still understanding how the system works. Through my first rotation in Supply and Demand, I learnt a lot about the significance of communicating with different markets and hubs to understand and share incoming artworks, projects and jobs for the Studio Team. As part of my second rotation into Proof Reading, I am learning about what it's like to handle the artwork from the markets and the extent individuals go to express the GSK values. It is vital to maintain this standard of work as I have seen the implications of missing the slightest details, most severely causing a product recall.

There are many aspects of this programme which I thoroughly enjoy, including the team welcoming me with open arms and making me feel welcome. If I ever have any issues, I know I have people there for me who are going to support me. I have already met so many people I am happy to call my friends so I never feel lonely. The teams I have worked with have been brilliant as I have felt involved and not afraid to ask questions or interact with them. I have been welcomed into each team by everyone and colleagues will ask me how I'm getting on, which is a clear indication of individuals who care. I went into this apprenticeship with an expectation of a creative working environment with busy colleagues and not many external opportunities. However, since beginning my apprenticeship in September 2017, I have found there has been so many experiences externally and activities to get myself stuck into. Therefore, this apprenticeship has gone above and beyond what I expected and I am thoroughly enjoying my time with this company. I appreciate working with a company which holds such high values and expectations of their employees, in so many ways they have proven to be such a genuine and trustworthy company to work for and I am honoured to be a part of it.

As an apprentice, I initially thought that feeling valued by GSK wouldn't be easy but as time has gone on, I have seen that there is a lot of different ways that I am valued by the company. For example, they have global recognition awards that are sent out to those who have done something that they believe should be acknowledged. I also have 1:1 sessions with my line manager where I can receive appreciation and feedback from how I have been getting on. GSK as a company personally addresses every individual on emails which is a small but great way to make employees feel valued. I also receive external recognition for tasks and opportunities I have taken part in, an example of this would be at Sunderland College where I am studying to gain my NVQ Diploma in Art and Design.

During the start of my apprenticeship, I was involved in an induction where I was given a brief overview of GSK and what the company aims to achieve. Following this, I was given the opportunity to have a site tour in different blocks where different things were happening. This was very well organised as I was given instructions on how to dress appropriately when going in areas which could be contaminated easily. GSK take safety very seriously and aim to work with zero accidents, defects and waste so I was given a lot of information on how to stay safe within the workplace. This included raising zaps for when you spot a hazard which could end in an accident. In my apprenticeship, we have thorough support though managers, mentors and team members. This system works very well as I know I always have someone to go to for any issues. Coming in as an apprentice I felt that the organisation of getting myself involved in loads of different opportunities was very well put together, not just for activities but also in the team. On a whole I believe that my programme has a very good structure and organisation. The only issue I had with this is when I was on my first rotation, I felt like if I had been provided with a detailed training plan at the start it would have made it easier for me but that was quickly resolved after speaking to my line manager.

My training provider at Sunderland college, also my tutor, helps me with any issues I have on completing my units. I get plenty of guidance from them as unlike other students, I only attend once a week so I feel I do struggle with finding the time to complete the work given but the tutors fully understand and help me find a way over this hurdle. At work, the training was mainly provided by my mentor in the team which gave the support to act as a member of that team without feeling like I couldn't get involved. My mentor would ensure that I was included in all the meetings the team was having and given information and work related to the job. Therefore, I enjoy the support and training given by them.

In GSK the HR Team are provided for every region globally. They offer a range of services and support for: • Careers and Jobs • Complementary Workforce • Employee Assistance Programme • European Works Council • Global Inclusion & Diversity • GSK and Brexit • Job Evaluation • Leadership • Learning at GSK • Mobility Services • Performance System • Recognition • Talent Management • Total Reward My managers and mentor are always there to guide and support my every move at work, especially with any problems and issues I may face. My employer always has a very positive attitude towards supporting me and there is always a solution, most importantly any issues will not be ignored.

The GSK salary for apprentices is very competitive and through recognition and rewards there is always chances for a rise. Personally, the set salary covers my living costs as I currently live at home. GSK provide travel expense costs when travelling on work business, in my case the cost of driving to college and back. As an apprentice, I attended a resilience event which really helped me to prioritise and save my money. I started the share schemes with GSK for an overall benefit. This does limit the money I have coming in but it is worth the sacrifice for long term commitments. I have also set up a pension plan already with GSK, which has me started for life. I do not have any issues with the location of my workplace as I currently live in Barnard Castle and I take a 10-15-minute walk to work every day.

There are so many opportunities outside of work to: • Build new skills • Develop skills • Represent the company • Encourage others to apply • Voluntary work • Working at other sites • And more! These events, activities and opportunities help express and make yourself stand out. Something I am very keen to get involved with is Orange Days, which involves doing voluntary work for the community. I am also going on an Outward-Bound event in the west of England to work on my team building skills with all the other apprentices in the region.

Yes

It is a well-respected company and it values its employees. I want other individuals to similarly receive great work satisfaction and passion for what they do and achieve. I would want them to build their employability skills and work with teams who will support and guide them through everything. There is a competitive salary and at the same time you will be gaining important qualifications.

If there was any advice that I would give someone applying, it would be to take every opportunity that comes your way and don't be afraid of saying yes to tasks which you know are going to be challenging. Do not hesitate to express yourself and your passions. When applying for the apprenticeship, choose an area where you think you would enjoy the most. Do some background research of the company, it's aims, values and expectations and of the area you are applying to. If you can, speak to someone who has already had an apprenticeship with them or is still on the programme.