Chemical Engineering Technician Review

Technician in a university supporting the practical laboratories in chemical engineering . I prepare practicals and assist in teaching them. Lab management to ensure safe laboratories and train students and staff on analytical equipment. I support research experiments by offering advice and setting up technical equipment.

Yes I have learnt alot of the theory behind many different types of equipment such as distillation, reactors, TGA, chemical reactions. Environmental management and waste disposal, water analysis techniques, how to manipulate data on computer software such as excel, macros. Preparing PowerPoint and giving presentations. Report writing.

I really enjoy the variety in the different subjects, it makes you focus on things that you wouldn't learn about in work or even spend the time to think about. The projects are my favourite as it gives you the chance to develop your skills deeper and the freedom to manage your own experiments and reports.

We have dedicated tutors for our apprenticeship program and this works really well. They always keep us up today with 3 or 4 emails a week. And give us specific information that's related to us and not the full time students. The tutors have experience in industry and academia so they know the type of roles we do and this helps us both when talking about our struggles.

My employer is very supportive, my line manager is very helpful allowing me to study in works time (1 day a week) and if I need extra time near deadlines or exams he will allow me to study. I work with very helpful people so in a university setting there is always someone who is an expert in the area I am studying.

They tend to help alot near deadlines particularly for the apprenticeship side of the course and have site visits to see our workplace and meet us in person which are really good. For the academic side they are helpful in pointing us in the right direction, offering services such as learning hub, writing courses etc.

I am finding that the topics I am learning about directly apply to my role, with the range of analytical equipment in my workplace labs the theory really helps meal to understand how they work and help me to suggest improvement ways for projects and research to students.

There are many activities such as onsite gym, eco-hub, feeding the onsite chickens, walking and running clubs. Also professional events that I help lead such as technician forums where technicians from Lancaster university meet and network on best practices etc.

Yes

It's a great place to develop yourself and there are many opportunities to learn in different areas due to the laid back atmosphere of the workplace

Get involved with as many things as you can because that way you build up networks and this really improves your experience