Drug Substance Manufacture Apprentice Review

I work in the Process Safety team, performing safety testing on drugs in development before a process is scaled up to larger production. This ranges from thermal stability tests, running calorimetry on an entire process to explosive screening. I perform the laboratory work and analyse the results of these tests. I also perform calibration tests and validation work on certain pieces of equipment that I am 'equipment owner' of.

I continually learn new skills, even now in my 3rd year of the apprenticeship. Almost all of the role was completely new to me when I joined, so as most techniques and equipment are unique to Process Safety, I had never come across them. This includes the use of differential scanning calorimeters, Setaram C80s, Accelerated Rate Calorimeters and many more.

I do enjoy the programme I am on. I especially enjoy the lab work aspect of the job, getting hands on and working with real drugs in development. The work I do is not routine, so never feels like it is becoming repetitive as every process we test can be different.

I think the programme is very well organised. The induction process at the start made the transition from sixth form to a full time job relatively stress free, and since then it has felt like I have constantly been progressing, never coming to a standstill and simply performing the same tests time and time again.

I've found that AstraZeneca support us in any way they can. Everyone is always more than happy to help out with anything whether it is work or university related - you never get talked down to as 'an apprentice'. Being able to take the full hours required for the degree has never been an issue either, they do not force you to prioritise work when you are due 20% of your hours for studies.

Manchester Metropolitan University offer good support. The relevant study materials are always released on time, and for the most part the mentors reply to emails and questions very quickly, with marking usually received on time. Distance learning style lectures work very well, allowing interaction even though it is not face to face, and they have always been happy to set up separate 1:1 meetings when we need extra help.

At the start of the apprenticeship, the degree helped a lot with work. It offered skills that I might not have had time to achieve whilst solely focussing on work, and helped me to understand more about the company and the different aspects as a whole. However, I think 3 years for the foundation degree is too long, and feel like in the final year, I have excelled in my role far more than what I have learnt with my studies, and not much of what I have learnt recently can be applied to my role (which I appreciate can be an inherent flaw when teaching so many apprentices in different roles at their companies).

There are lots - there is a gym on site that anyone can sign up for, there is an astro where people regularly have inter-team games. There are groups outside of work like rock-climbing for example. There is a drive to promote inter-tram mixing within the company as well; in my building, once a month there is a Culture Connect, which offers a platform for everyone to have a chat about anything they've been working on recently, and people can present, so that they have an idea of what's going on in the building as a whole.

Yes

AstraZeneca prides itself with being a great place to work, which I genuinely believe it is. They put patients first, and also clearly do what's best for employees. A prime example of this is with the Corona virus pandemic, they were very proactive and took measures to ensure everyone was safe, even before the government began issuing their warnings. There is the ability to progress within and outside of your role, the corporate ladder is there to be seen. The number of people that have worked there for almost their whole careers shows how people feel about working there.

Try to learn a bit about the company and its values before applying, as it offers a great foundation to know what they stand for and what they will be looking for from you on a day to day basis. Use any examples you can of where you have gone beyond the norm - don't exaggerate, but use any examples you can to show that you've taken opportunities to broaden your skillset.