Laboratory Scientist Review

by AstraZeneca

Best Apprenticeship Employer

Rating

9.6/10

1. Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis:

I am a QC technician. My day to day role involves identifying colonies and morphologies from environmental monitoring samples and biological indicators. The results have to be carefully inputted into data entry systems

9/10

2. Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?

Part of being an apprentice at such a world renowned company means you develop skills such as communication, presentation, leadership and networking. This is in addition to all the technical skills you are taught specific to your role, e.g working aseptically

9/10

3. To what extent do you enjoy your programme?

I enjoy my programme very much, colleagues and management are very supportive and push you to be a better version of yourself

10/10

4. How well organised/structured is your programme?

My programme is very well organised. I have a 4 year course and attend university online once a week. I will attend once a year for a week to maintain contact and develop practical skills. I will also rotate through different teams to give me a broad skill set

10/10

5. How much support do you receive from your employer?

My employer is very supportive. We have check ins about progress to ensure progress is being made and uni/work link together like they should

10/10

6. How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?

My lecturers at MMU are brilliant and are always happy to help in/ outside of lessons. The material is engaging and challenging.

10/10

7. How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?

My qualification provides me with knowledge that can be applied to my role to understand my job (and others’ jobs) better and why we do the things we do. This also provides me with knowledge to improve my workplace/systems. Not everything we learn is 100% relevant in a specific role, however when you rotate teams some aspects will relate more.

9/10

8. Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)

There are lots of apprentice social events inside and outside of work such as coffee mornings, meals out and activities. There are employee resource groups which allow you to develop networking skills and understand the wider company you are working within

10/10

9a. Would you recommend AstraZeneca to a friend?

Yes

9b. Why?

The experience you can gain as an apprentice, the support you receive from others and the qualification you gain is invaluable and is beneficial for career and personal development

10. What tips or advice would you give to others applying to AstraZeneca?

Be yourself, do not worry about having loads of experience but focus on thinking about what skills you have gained from those experiences and how they could be applied to the role. Be confident in yourself and your talent and passion will show