Lab Analyst Review

My job title is 'Lab Analyst Apprentice', tasks vary from day to day depending what drugs are in the lab and what tests need doing, there is a variety of work to be done and so far I have been trained on many different tests. We are planned outwork everyday and it is my responsibility to complete this work daily, the apprentices are given the opportunity to raise awareness of apprenticeships in schools and the local area through STEM. Part of our Course is a Health and Safety project so we can ask the HSE department at work for a project that they need completing and work on this for a period of time to also put towards University work. We are given the same work as the other Lab analysts and are treated no differently from them. Monday to Thursday I am in the Lab working and every Friday I have a study day where I do University work via distance learning.

Yes, I have learned a variety of different tests in the Labs through my training and by the end of the apprenticeship I will have an FdSc Chemical Science Degree, there is also the opportunity to top this up to a full degree in Chemical Science. There are a lot of internal training courses which need to be completed within a deadline. Before starting the apprenticeship I could perform basic tests, however I am now a lot more confident and know a lot more, theoretically and practically through my day to day work.

I really enjoy the programme, I am working in a team of people who are all in and around the same age as myself, the work varies day to day which means I get trained on a wide variety of different tests and this also keeps the work interesting as I am always learning something new, part of the apprenticeship is that I rotate around 3 Labs every 8 months, then spend the final year in the Lab I am most suited to, this is good for me as it means I am learning about different departments within the company which have completely different tests and drugs in them and it also means that at the end I will hopefully get a job in the Lab most suited to me. So far the apprenticeship has met my expectations I am really enjoying it and am extremely happy to be here.

So far I feel valued by the company, the people around me always appreciate any work that I do. We have meetings every month to see how we are getting on and the managers normally let us know what we are doing well and what they would like us to improve on which is great. We have 6 monthly PDPs aswell so that we can map out how we want our work to go over the year.

The programme is well organised, the study days are given to us once a week which is more than enough and if any extra time is needed it will be given to us. Training in the Lab varies from lab to lab, however in the Lab I am currently in it is very organised, I have a specific work based trainer and whenever new tests or new drugs come in, time is planned in to get me trained.

We are given a lot of support, we have assigned mentors to go to with any problems, also due to the large number of apprentices on site we can turn to each other, the second years of the course I am on are very helpful, any issues we have either University work based or Lab work based they can help us wth as they were doing the same as us last year, also as they are our age they are also a lot easier to approach when we need help.

I have monthly meeting with my manager to discuss any problems I may have, also the team I am working in are always happy to help me with any issues I may have.

The salary package meets my costs, I live very locally so petrol isnt too much for me, I always have spare money left over. We have 6 monthly pay reviews and also a yearly bonus in December.

Yes, there are meals for good performance within your Lab, when someone leaves there are goodbye lunches, there is the christmas party, the gym and social club, which run classes before work, at lunchtime and after work which is great.

Yes

It is a well known company with a good reputation in the Pharmaseutcal industry, the University course is well matched to work in the lab. The training is good, we are paid well and treated no different to the other Lab Analysts.

Take your time throughout the application process and be honest in all your answers.