Laboratory Scientist Apprentice Review

My typical day can be very varied as I am lab based and I work across multiple projects. If I am in an early stage of a project I am more office based; doing research, answering emails, having meetings with project leads and making a plans or workflows. This is a very interesting part as I get to learn about the scientific rationale behind a project and the medicine. In the middle of a project I am heavily lab based. I am in the lab prepping or doing experiments. This is my favourite part of my job as I get to advance my skills, learn a new technique and do practical work. Towards the end of a project I am a mixture of office and data. I am looking at my results, doing quality control and data analysis. If required I may need to repeat an experiment if samples failed or to attempt to get better quality results. This part is great as the project comes together and I can see the bigger picture. I get to see how the work I do and data I produce is beneficial to the project and what conclusions are made from it.

Doing an apprenticeship where you balance both studying for a higher level qualification and gain industry experience allows you to develop a wide range of skills. In terms of practical skills my laboratory skills have advanced immensely, especially as I work in large team giving me the ability to learn a variety of technology and procedures. To the point where I can independently run experiments in the laboratory and produce vital data for critical projects. I have gained a Level 5 Laboratory Scientist qualification and a Fd degree in Applied Bioscience so far. As I continue the apprenticeship I am working towards a Level 6 and BSc (Hons) in those same courses. Being in the workplace allows you to develop many soft skills. Public speaking in meetings and conferences has allows me to progress my communication skills and adapt my presentation style to various audiences. Organisation is key efficiently working and meeting deadlines for both project work and university assignments. Working in a team and across departments enables me advance teamworking and collaboration skills. Additionally, there are many courses available to develop specific areas such as effective communication, scientific communication, self-leadership, inclusivity & diversity, statistics, coding, and various software, just to name a few.

I really enjoy being able to contribute to real oncology drug development from the first day is very rewarding. My favourite part of my job is all the hand-on experience from working in the laboratory and running experiments. Being able to independently run experiments in the laboratory and produce vital data for critical projects has made my passion for science grow every day. Furthermore I enjoy learning about other areas within the company and even getting opportunities to shadow and work in those areas on interest. Although it can sometimes be tricky juggling university studies, assignments and exams alongside company project work and laboratory experiments there is an abundance of support, the programme is so beneficial and enjoyable.

The scientific laboratory program works by doing a Level 6 degree apprenticeship with AstraZeneca and the University of Kent which will take 4 years and 9 months to complete. The end result will be a BSc Bioscience degree and just under 5 years industry work experience. It is structured by splitting my time 20/80 as 1 day a week is dedicated to studying online via distance learning and the remaining 4 days working at AstraZeneca. Working and studying together allows you to understand the relevance of the knowledge gained from my degree into the workplace and its application in the pharmaceutical industry.

I receive an immense amount of support and encouragement from my employers, including manager, supervisor, team members, apprentice programme manager and other apprentices. It can be tricky juggling university studies, coursework and exams as well as doing laboratory experiences and company project work. Therefore, it is very important to have good communication with managers/ supervisors as they are extremely supportive and can ensure I am comfortable with my workload and study time. I am always encouraged to develop and expand my skills as the workplace provides opportunities such as courses and workshops. Furthermore an additional benefit of being in the workplace is that I’m surrounded by scientific professionals with degrees, PhDs and vast experience who can help. Everyone is very supportive and always willing to take time to answer questions, give advice and share their knowledge.

The university assigns you a supervisor how you have reviews with every 3 months to check-in with you, ensure you are progressing and managing your work. This is an opportunity to ask questions or raise an issues about the program or university study, you can also email them or the university admin team if its a matter of urgency. In addition all modules have assigned lecturers as points of contact to ask questions and clarify understanding of module content. Academic lecturers also put time aside weekly to allow you to call them for discuss module content, coursework and exams. Furthermore extensive feedback in provided on all coursework and can be requested for exams in order to improve. The academic lecturers very supportive and always take time to answer emails and questions in details and even arrange meetings to discuss any areas, modules or assignments you require help with. They are very timely in providing feedback, grading assignments or practice papers. The admin team are also very helpful for providing support where needed too.

It is fascinating both studying and working in a pharmaceutical company as I can immediately apply the knowledge I gain from the degree into the workplace. By furthering my biological understanding through university study it improves my understanding of experimental work, biological samples, drug mechanisms and the pharmaceutical industry. In additional, the university course includes a couple business modules to understand how projects are designed, the drug development process is structured and the regulations in place.

There are various internal and external activities to get involves in in both a professional and social environment. There are various committees and councils organised by employees for different groups such as apprentice council, or open groups such as charity comittees. There are employee resource groups such as network of women and AZinspire which organise symposiums, courses, lunch & learns, journal clubs and many more events throughout the year for personal development and networking opportunities. As well as this there are general events such as Networking days and conferences organised by departments and functions to share scientific knowledge and meet people in different areas of the company. Furthermore there are various informal social and sports events organised these groups, students and apprentices such as netball teams, hockey teams, bowling, dinners, escape rooms, punting, BBQs, pub quizzes, pub crawls and nights out. Despite the restriction due to the pandemic over the past year there has still been a huge effort to continue with conferences, networking days and social activities virtually. This has been a great was to stay connected and positive during this time

Yes

As AstraZeneca is a world-leading pharmaceutical company working there gives you the opportunity to work and communicate with industry professionals and have access to novel equipment and machines. The apprenticeship programme is well established throughout the company opening roles in various departments such as scientific, clinical trials, manufacturing, IT, HR and more. It is friendly and supportive environment with many opportunities to develop practical and soft skills. I have really enjoyed my time here so far and look forward to continuing my apprenticeship and careers.

Gaining work experience in the career of interest, pharmaceutical industry or science generally is extremely beneficial as it shows a your passion and great to have on your application and CV to be more employable. Additionally work experience allows you to speak first hand to working professionals to ask questions, discuss the path they took to get to their current position, learn more about their experience and understand more about different areas of the industry. This will show in that you are enthusiastic and proactive. In interviews try to find situations where skills you have shown are transferrable (e.g. communication, organisation, team work) and just be yourself and let your personality shine!