Laboratory Science Apprenticeship Review

It changes on a weekly basis but I will usually spend about half of my time in the lab, helping the team with their experiments as well as carry out some of my own that have been delegated to me from my manager. The other half of my time is spent at my desk or completing other activities as part of my apprenticeship, be that spreading knowledge about it or training or going to meetings.

My lab skills have improved ten fold as I had never really worked in a lab before. e.g Aseptic techniques, working with liquid and vapour nitrogen, assays. My confidence and ability to communicate has soared. My organisational skills have always been good but have also had to improve to balance my uni work with working full time as well as being able to do other activities outside of work.

I LOVE MY PROGRAMME. It was slightly slow to get started but that was due to the lack of work in the department and my lack of skills. I spent the first few months training and ever since have loved every moment. Being able to work at the front line of science and really see that what we do makes a difference which is amazing.

In places, very organised but other parts can let it down. Just little things like accommodation when visiting university, remember that we are apprentices and most of us have come straight from a-levels and don't know as much as people with BSc, MSc and PhD's. Saying this, majority is very well organised.

My team are amazing at helping me with my uni work, inviting me into the lab so I can learn and see what goes on. Support when I need help in the lab and at general work, working systems that I'm not used to etc. Support from the early talent team and the organisation in general is also good although I have never had to use them.

That depends, if you put the effort in and email them, ask questions, ask them to mark things etc then they are great but they will not do it without prompting. This is fine for me you just have to be organised and be able to sort something yourself and then email them.

I feel that my job role helps my learning more than anything else. I can learn it in work in the lab and then be able to apply it to my degree which is very helpful rather than having to learn straight out of a textbook. It also helps you to see what you're learning can actually applied to the real world and see where that can go.

For the apprentices there are socials every 2-3months around Hertfordshire which is really good fun where you can meet other apprentices that you wouldn't usually meet in your day to day life at work. There are also events 1-2 times yearly where all the apprentices from the entire UK meet up and take part in events be that a resilience course or a outward bound course.

Yes

It is a very friendly company to work for where the people are easy to get on with and work with as well as gaining benefits such as a pension scheme, shares schemes and private healthcare. The programme is amazing including being able to work for a world class company, gain a degree, get paid and have no debt.

Be yourself, take time over your application and the employers can see if you really want it so do not worry. They are looking at your potential not necessarily what you have already achieved and they are looking that you can work well in a team as well as providing examples and these.