Labs Apprentice Review

My Job title is Labs Apprentice. This means I work within the lab and also outside of it within multiple roles. I get experience in 4 areas, finished products, raw materials, compliance and micro. I complete testing on 3 days a week, have a study day and also have a day dedicated to a project, which gets ,e involved with other sectors of the company.

I have learnt basic and advanced lab skills, including pipetting, the use of technical machines likes IC and Density meters. My speaking skills have vastly improved after going into to schools and talking about my apprenticeship. I have been given all the necessary training and it has improved my organisation and time keeping skills.

I enjoy it a lot. It allows me to gain experience that university wouldn't offer. I get to work around other professionals as well as gaining a degree. The company culture suits me to a T and everybody is extremely friendly. It has beaten my expectations. I enjoy my program a lot and would recommend to anyone that is looking to do an apprenticeship.

I feel very valued, as I have responsibilities I wouldn't expect myself to have only 5 months into the program, it shows they trust me as they are allowing me to grow which will help when I want to move further up the company's ladder. I have gained an internal recognition reward for my project which shows me they appreciate my hard work

It is well organised and I have a weekly routine to which I follow, there is flexibility to it and it allows me to choose what I do if I feel I would benefit from it. The only improvement I would say is at the start it was a little slow to get up and running however, it was worth the wait

The university offers plenty of help via email and other resources. This is great for if I am stuck on university work. An external person comes in to check on me every couple of months and she is a proxy I can via if I need to raise any issues. She is of great help as she is clued up about the course is very proactive.

I receive plenty of support from my development manager as well as FLL's and managers hey are of great help and encourage you to challenge things and get involved. If I am struggling with anything, it is also encouraged I bring it to there attention. My FLL is always helpful and we have a meeting every 3 weeks to catch up and allow me to ask any queries.

The salary is good in comparison to other apprenticeships however living in Maidenhead is quite costly and it only just about covers fees etc. leaving me with very little disposable income so it is hard to save. They are currently undergoing a salary change which will compete with other apprenticeships salaries and will leave me with a lot more disposable income each month which I am looking forward to.

Maidenhead is a good area for sports as there are many sports clubs. I have joined a gym which is situated close to work and home. The company dos throw events, especially being an apprentice, they arrange team building weeks in the lake district, Wales, etc. for you and other apprentices on different sites to meet and team build. The site is very focused to the community and is always on the lookout to help it.

Yes

It has great values and everybody is very friendly. The work ethic of the whole site is incredible and everybody pulls together to get the job done, even under hard circumstances. You don't only work alongside colleagues but also friends, it makes the environment a lot more calm and stress free.

The application process is made for you to show yourself off. Utilise this without making something seem too profound. On the assessment day just be yourself and try not to get to wrapped up by nerves, it best to be confident and leave a lasting impression than be shy and timed. If you get any opportunities within GSK take them as they are going to benefit you in some way and will also let your contact book grow!