Laboratory Science Degree Apprentice Review

I work in the lab on a daily basis working in cell and gene therapy. I also attend meetings with my team and with the department. STEM events are also a big part of my work where I go and encourage others to consider apprenticeships. Since starting in September I have already been involved in some projects.

University course means I have learnt some of the background to the work I am doing in the lab. Also many training courses to attend either online or in a meeting setting. Conferences are available to develop skills learnt. The university course fits well with my work so the knowledge is solidified in the lab.

Absolutely amazing! Have learnt so much already and really enjoy working in a smaller team within a large and new department. The company culture is really inclusive so any questions I have can be answered by experts in the field which is really useful. The workload is manageable as the university work is structured so can be completed week-by-week.

Regular 1-to-1's with my manager are useful as they allow me to understand what I need to work towards. I have received recognition for a project I worked on for a colleague. Also, I have received recognition for helping out on work experience weeks and other events. My manager also recognises my work and makes it feel like it is valuable.

The university course is well organised as the layout is week-by-week, however it can sometimes by confusing how much depth to go into with the studying. The course is aided at work as I feel I can ask my colleagues for help if there is a section that is confusing me. I like the fact we are trained in many different areas in the lab so can see what we want to work on more.

The tutor, although not at the workplace, is able to give support by answering messages through the online course site. We also have meetings with the university point of contact who helps us with any queries and tracks our progress. Quick feedback and answers means the support is really accessible and handy.

My manager has regular meetings with me to see how I am doing with the work and university work and any questions I have I feel able to ask. I have also recently been assigned a mentor who will be able to support me in different areas of work. The HR team have been really helpful as they have answered questions quickly.

There is a competitive salary. I am able to rent so I can live closer to work meaning I do not have really long travel times.

Company events are held for the departments and also for the apprentices. We also go on team building days where we do activities. There is an on-site gym which is useful! When not working, the apprentices spend lots of time together with organised nights and meals. I recently started training for tough mudder with some colleagues as well!

Yes

It is an amazing opportunity to study towards a foundation degree or degree at the same time as gaining all the practical knowledge and applications that will aid me in future and solidifies my knowledge. It is also great to meet many other people who are experts in their field and find out how they got to where they are.

Ensure you use correct spelling and grammar and also definitely include things that make you stick out from the crowd - this doesn't have to be educational but as long as you are passionate about it, it will make the assessors remember you! When you join, try and talk to as many new people as possible because its amazing how much these interactions can help you in the future.