IT Support Analyst Review

My role within the Science & Technology Facilities Council (STFC) is to provide technical support for a wide variety of scientific equipment and software. I work closely with scientists, collaborators and the central IT team to ensure a good service is provided and that the existing IT infrastructure for experiments is well maintained and upgraded as necessary.

My apprenticeship has allowed me to learn many new skills including how to support a wide variety of software, operating systems and hardware. I have also gained knowledge on how to identify opportunities for making technical and process improvements and how to present these ideas to stakeholders and management effectively. I have also gained skills with programming and web design that has helped me automate processes and increase efficiency throughout the department I work in.

I really enjoy this apprenticeship, the job is flexible and challenging but provides great opportunities for self-improvement and learning about new and interesting technologies. I'm able to manage the workload well and feel respected and trusted by my colleagues and management to make decisions with some autonomy. I feel valued as an employee and for the work I do. I wouldnt hesitate to reccomend STFC Daresbury Laboratory to others seeking a quality apprenticeship.

The apprenticeship is organised well, my course requires me to attend university 1 day per week and my work provide some time during office hours for reading course material and working on assignments. The site visits from the univeristy staff have been slightly difficult to arrange due but other than this I have enjoyed the structure and pace of the course.

My employer has provided excellent support for my course. I am able to contact experts within the company for assistance and always find the people to be knowledgeable and friendly. I am allowed some time each week to focus on the university course content within work hours, this has helped me to keep on top of the increased workload that comes with learning and earning.

The training provider could provide more support, while I have not encountered any issues myself or required any additional support through the first year of my course, I am aware that other students who did require some assistance did not receive the kind of support they needed in a timely fashion.

The training has helped me learn how to collect requirements, identify improvements and present ideas to management effectively and professionally. Prior to the course I could do this but I now have a good knowladge of the various frameworks to use and a clear understanding of the benefits that this provides.

There are many extra activities, professional networking events, training opportunities even including support with how to interview or be interviewed. There are a number of clubs or sports groups, the running club & aerobics is particularly popular. The site also runs a car pool which is a great way to meet others working at the site.

Yes

It's a great place to work, the staff are friendly, the campus is nice and there is a great sense of community and pride in the work that we do at STFC. There are many groups and extra activities to get involved in and they ensure you feel valued as an employee.

The application and interview process can be slow but is worth it. Ensure you learn about what STFC is and does before applying. If you were to ever consider a job at STFC in future but not necissarily right now, look out for an open day. We invite the general public to the laboratory to demonstrate the technologies we are working with, not only is it a great family day out but you can talk to the staff and get an idea of what the organisation is like, the campus and the wide variety of roles that could be available in future.