Lean Manufcturing Apprentice Review

My role covers a variety of responsibilities, working with: - Partner companies to ensure programme of work is successful - Working with managers to ensure that people are fully engaged with the programme of work. - Contributing to funding agreements, to ensure that we get the appropriate funding for the next year of the programme.

The skills that I have learnt on my apprenticeship include: - Project Management - managing the project from start t finish to a high quality standard - Lean Manufacturing - Using lean methodologies to improve manufacturing in one of our factories. - Mentoring - Gaining mentoring experience supporting new apprentices. - Risk Management - Understanding risk from site to company through practical involvement in meetings. - Effective Communication - communicating to employees of different levels - Strategy - deploying the strategy from a regional level and making it successful on site.

The programme has given me the opportunity to stretch myself in all aspects of business. Starting the programme in a manufacturing site gave me an overview of how manufacturing sites work, the importance of ensuring we get products to the customer in a timely manner and how working with high class teams aligned to targets will deliver. Another aspect is the ability to be mentored by experts in the field and them spending time with you to learn about the business and provide career guidance.

The programme was new to GSK and so the beginning was slow. However by the beginning of year 2, a clear coherent programme was in place with specific learning targets and goals for me to achieve in the following 3 years. This mean that I understood my targets and goals which helped me plan my work load and study time.

GSK are incredibly supportive. My line manager checks in with me on a monthly basis to ensure that I am completing modules on time. As well as this if there are any topics or areas of the business that I have not studied before, they will provide guidance and support in the best way to complete these modules. Including introducing you to people who are experts in the topic.

Every 2 weeks I have regular calls explaining the learning topic. These calls usually last for an hour. As well as this my course tutor has instructed us that if we have any questions we should directly reach out to him with questions or concerns. This means that I have regular contact with them when I need.

My qualification helps me to: - Understand the management of the company - Deliver projects to a higher quality as I understand (in more detail) aspects of project management. - Successfully build relationships with people across the company - Give me a foundation to my career and where I would like to go next with it.

There is the opportunity to get involved with them through employee support groups. The employee support groups are there to up skill you, but also provide support when you most need it. These support groups are also very social and have monthly drinks/ coffee meetings where you are able to catch up.

Yes

GSK has supported me from Day 1. Giving an in-depth overview, introduction to the company. But most importantly, helping with that transition from full time education to full time work. Both are incredibly different but the support that GSK gives you means that the transition is a lot easier than I expected. As well as this the other opportunities that GSK gives you to get involved with other projects as apprentices and also to develop your skills.

TIPS: 1. Apply the questions to the GSK values, but your own personal values. 2. Use your own examples and show how you have experience for the role (even if it seems limited or trivial). 3. Gain experience - go out and ask people for work experience to narrow down career decisions.