Technician Scientist Apprentice Review

Currently working in the product quality team my role is to perform tests on drugs to ensure sterility. Our daily rota assigns a task to each person for the day to ensure all the testing is covered. An example is sterility where I must work in an isolator in a half suit to perform my testing.

Since my team rotation in January I have developed my plate reading skills as my new team has to read plates that slightly different than my old team as the growth is within the agar instead of on top. I have also learnt new skills like sterility testing and streaking out.

I love being able to work as an apprentice as it gives me the opportunity to experience different teams and develop skills I normally wouldn't get the chance to do. I also get time during the working week that allows me to stay on track with my university assignments.

There is definitely some room for improvement with both the university and the company. At work we are supposed to have 3 rotations to experience different teams however, due to staffing issues and time restraints, I will have only had 2 rotations by the end of the apprenticeship. The university lacked organisation and structure to begin with as they didn't communicate with us however this is improving since many people have complained.

There is a network of support at AstraZeneca. We have coordinators and managers in each team that are great at listening and offering help and always check in to ensure I am okay with my uni studies. There is also an internal network where I can talk to others on my course or ask for help.

There is not much communication from Kent. We get sent a weekly bulletin with some links to resources and we have an apprentice advisor who is always available to help and sets up meetings throughout the year. Other than that we left alone to study and understand the content with little/no help from the university.

So far only one of my modules as linked to my work however it did not help in any way. The only thing so far that I think will help with my role and career overall is the end project. This gives me the chance to be independent and show what I have learnt while working with the company.

There is always something to get involved in at AstraZeneca. We have many volunteering activities such as school visits, food bank collections and fun runs. There are also sports teams such as football and netball. the biggest thing to get involved in is the networking events where we get the chance to meet and talk to professional CEOs of the company and learn from them.

Yes

AstraZeneca is a great place to work. Everyone is very welcoming whether they are an apprentice, senior or manager and always willing to help. There are some great bonuses in terms of pay and health care and some other bonuses you can choose such as dental, pension and a cycle to work scheme.

When applying and before a potential interview look at AstraZeneca's values. They can be found on the website and are incorporated into every day at work. come up with some examples where you have followed these values. Also make sure you stand out by discussing what else you do other than just education and work.