Business and supply chain apprentice Review

I am currently on my second rotation within the business doing material scheduling, Within this role I maintain optimal levels of inventory through interactions with suppliers, production schedulers, and other key functions internally. I am responsible for ensuring production has the materials to run smoothly and am working on improving our processes to further enable this.

I have massively developed my transferrable skills such as the use of Microsoft office as well as soft skills such as effective communication and time management. Furthermore, previous to my apprenticeship I had little to no understanding of supply chains and the systems utilised to make them work. Whereas now I have a clear understanding of the supply chain and am able to use many of the systems used to execute it.

I love my programme; we get to take part in great activities such as team building weeks away, and we also get proper roles and responsibilities. This can sometimes be quite stressful however I personally find when situations are more challenging I learn more from them. The apprentice network throughout our site and others is also really great and we socialise with different apprentices across the country and globe!

Our programme is fairly well structured as the rotations are and university work are clearly set out from the offset. However while which rotations we do is clear, it is not always set when we do it - it is fairly flexible depending on your needs as well as the needs of the business. For example, I started my second rotation slightly earlier than planned. This can be frustrating at times but equally it is more often than not advantageous to have this flexibility.

I receive incredible support. I have two managers, one apprentice manager and one line manager. Both consistently assist me with day to day work, encourage me to get involved in projects, and promote development opportunities for me within the business. Furthermore, from a more emotional perspective my managers are really supportive on personal situations and are easy to discuss more sensitive matters with. Not only do my managers support me, but the apprentice leads and everyone on site are invested in my development, and often do all they can to give me the best opportunities.

Unfortunately we had some issues with our initial providers but thankfully we quickly moved away from them and are now with a much better provider. We have weekly calls and regular assignments that are structured effectively. All my assignments are open book so we submit drafts to receive feedback - my work has improved a lot since moving providers.

My qualification teaches me about the supply chain as a whole and enables me to relate my role and responsibilities back to the overarching business goals. It also enhances my day-to-day knowledge. For example we recently did an assignment on inventory, this is a key aspect of my work life and helped me to greater understand the decision making processes and structures.

There are loads of additional activities. As apprentices we have specialised events surrounding teamwork and resilience yearly. There's also regular social events organised by the apprentice network that are always really fun. Also as an employee of the company there are sports teams that you can be involved in as well as other clubs such as choir. Further to this there are employee resource groups that you cam join that put on networking and development events throughout the year.

Yes

First and foremost it is an incredibly nice place to work, everyone is always happy to help and there are loads of friendly faces. Also the scheme is great, we are entitled to the same benefits as regular employees, have our education paid for and the opportunity to develop it further if we choose to, and we all the extra curriculars available to us while having real responsibilities. I'm so glad I chose to come here over going to university, for me it has been an invaluable experience and I'm not even half way through it yet!

Read the application thoroughly and do your research, make sure your application is relevant and try not to use a generic CV. GSK want to see who you are as an individual to ensure the fit is right for both you and the company, so research but still be yourself throughout the application. As part of your research, we have apprentice open evenings that are great to find out more about the different courses. They make sure that you fully understand what you're applying to so you know that it's right for you! Also get it done as early as possible, I don't think it has an impact on how likely you are to get the role, but it will massively reduce your stress levels, especially if you're applying during A levels!