Supply Chain Degree Apprentice Review

I do rotations every year, so I will end up doing 4 roles. At present I am a materials manager, and I control the ordering and delivery of all the things needed to pack two drugs. Weekly I do ordering, delivery schedule checks, speak with lots of our suppliers and work with my planner to make sure we can meet the manufacturing plan he has created.

I applied to this job with no experience or knowledge of what supply chain involved. I hadn't even done a business course previously, as the supply chain degree is like a business degree with hints of logistics and supply throughout. However, I have learnt how to be a material manager, understanding the processes for ordering and controlling the delivery of key components for our oncology drugs. Through external training courses, I have developed my presentation skills which are used frequently in every part of the company. Not only this, but I have learnt how to apply my graphic design skills to good causes, such as our drive to raise awareness for neurodiversity.

So far, I have loved the amount of responsibility I get. It really brings the role I do value and gives me a sense of purpose, which is why I applied to do a degree apprenticeship. Sometimes I do get lost in the acronyms and high-level wording of how my team describes things, but surprisingly, my naivety of such things has proved useful when we have recently changed to a new system, as I taught some of my team how to do new processes! This role is always a problem-solving challenge. Sure, there have been moments where I wish I could be more creative, but through putting myself forward for external projects outside of operations, I've found my creativity to be a valuable asset to many, so I get the best of both worlds. If I hadn't have put myself out there, I don't think I would have enjoyed my experience as much. But overall, the role has been enjoyable despite COVID-19 and working from home. I'm sure once I do get in the office this score will go up to 10! The university programme had a brilliant introduction, and I do find once I start writing I do get enthused about the arguments I make in my essays. It is the hardest when you are trying to figure out what you are going to write about when you are only just learning the role yourself! Once you know your concept you are good to go. My manager always puts time in with me to talk about the essay assignments and gives me the names of people to talk with to get the relevant content.

My role is very much me getting on and doing it, I have my own structure to the day, and I'm expected to ask for help if I need it. I like this as I know the ins and outs of the two drugs that I control, and I'm the expert in them. The induction was slow and helped me ease my way into it, and my manager is fabulous, she is like my second mum! The support is unbelievable, better than anything I could have expected. In regards to the university side, it started off well with our first module. However, the last two modules have been happening at the exact same time, meaning we've had double the work, probably more than any normal university student would have. We have been told this is the only time in the 4 years that this happens, but it caused a lot of unnecessary stress. I took extensions and my manager gave me a few more days off work to get it done. Thankfully, we are now back to doing one module at a time which is a lot more manageable. The tutors at Leeds Trinity are very attentive, and we get a lot of support as we are able to quickly message them, instead of waiting for emails. Yet, the tutors at Supply Chain Academy (we do half our modules with them ad half at the university) have been very slow with replies. We have been told they will be better in the future. This does not tarnish the fact they are very knowledgeable in the areas they teach, and I have learnt a lot so far.

Loads! My manager is amazing, she always asks after me and I feel very comfortable with her. My team will jump on a call with me if ever I'm stuck. The early talent team is also brilliant and commend us on the amazing work we do. I can also contact anyone in the company for expertise, and I have met some pretty amazing people. When I first started, my mum was concerned about me entering such a big company, but when she met my manager and heard the people I speak to on meetings, she knows I am in the best place I can be. Can't fault the support.

I would say that my experience compared to my friends who go to Russel group universities as full-time students are very different. They tell me there are waiting lists for support and some of my friends don't even get draft submissions for their work. However, with my university, they will jump to give you support. At the end of the day, they wouldn't want to leave students who are coming from major companies in the dark! You aren't just an individual student by yourself, the company behind you expects results as they are paying for your degree! I can submit as many drafts as I like, and I have an extra source called the 'learning hub' where I send my drafts to be marked by another tutor. I message quick queries I have with my tutor, and she will always put the time in with me if I need it. We get great feedback from our work, and we have quarterly reviews with our managers present to discuss issues or concerns. Sometimes I haven't been clear on certain parts of modules, but these have been cleared up. The Supply Chain Academy will again put the time in with us if we need it, and we can submit as many drafts as we like. You can see that COVID-19 has affected them more than the university, as they usually teach very hands-on, so it was very difficult to make it as effective virtually. But they do need to be better with their communication with us students to help make things more clear.

As of yet, I've only done one module that is very specific to the role I'm doing. I now understand the reasoning as to why the company has chosen some methods of operation over others. Supply chain is simply massive, there are so many functions involved, and I'm starting to better understand these linkages, and it also helps to understand where you might want to work after your apprenticeship!

There are so many employee resource groups to join, such as AZinspire (for young people starting their careers at AZ), AZ pride, Neurodiversity and of course the apprentices themselves! Some of my work I've done in these groups is being used internationally and has sprouted into projects I'm doing with HR. AstraZeneca also post loads of opportunities outside the company that they think would be beneficial, which has led me to be involved in the G7 Youth Summit this year! There are some virtual social events that I have met some people in, but I can't comment on how this is during normal times. One thing I've learnt is that although we work at AstraZeneca, a world-renowned company, everyone is very relaxed and does have a sense of humour. I don't have to act a certain way to fit into any of these groups!

Yes

I already have recommended it to friends and I've done talks at my old school to get others to think about this option too. This degree apprenticeship has fulfilled me more than any university programme could ever do. I'm glad I said no to my university offers to do this, as it has given me a strong work ethic, a purpose, a wide-ranging career path and no debt! You are paid very well, you get access to industry experts university students could only dream of talking to. You still get a uni life, of course not as crazy as people who do uni full time, but you have a better balance of work and social time. If your interested in doing a science degree, you have access to the best labs in the world, and AstraZeneca give you all the equipment you need to do your job to the best of your ability. Many of us apprentices have worked hard and saved our wages to start mortgages in our early twenties, and haven't had the worry of not being able to afford to do the things we want to do.

I'm a farmers daughter who was a drama student (I did Maths, History and Drama at A-level). I now work at a global pharmaceutical company in supply chain. I don't think you can illustrate two more opposing lifestyles. My point is you have no idea what they are looking for. My manager said to me "You weren't what we were looking for, but you were certainly what we needed". Be yourself. I didn't hide the fact I knew little to nothing about business or operations, because they didn't care about that. They are looking for people who are down to earth. Do sell yourself on your CV, and make sure everything you put relates to skills they say they need in the job ad. I spent about 3-4 days perfectly my CV and cover letter, and I just did this through online resources. Practise some basic interview questions and use stories to illustrate your skills. They won't ask you any strange interview questions as they are not there to catch you out. In my interview I spoke about my artwork and drama performances, so don't be afraid to talk about your interests! Do some research on the company. Sustainability is really important to me, and AstraZeneca do a lot in this area so that's what I said in my interview. I'm now going to be doing my own sustainability project! Don't worry if your work experience isn't relevant. I did a week at the BBC and I know about all things farming. Just make sure you have done something to show your drive to do extra things and prove you haven't just sat on the sofa. I possibly think my diversity of farming and creative subjects was intriguing, so again, put down your wacky hobbies and make that CV a trophy of who you are. They aren't looking for brainboxes or people who already know it all, otherwise, they would offer you a job rather than an apprenticeship! They are trying to impress you as much as you are trying to impress them. I had other job offers too, so bear in mind that if you do get chosen to do an interview, they really want you there!