Packaging R&D degree apprentice Review

My role is varied on a day to day basis. I am involved in different global innovation projects as well as having focus areas within other sub teams to enhance my skills. I work in the laboratory, office and Advanced Manufacturing Centre.

I have had the opportunity to develop a lot of my technical skills. There have also been several opportunities to enhance my softer skills. I am confident that the future will bring plenty more opportunities for personal development.

I am really grateful for the opportunity to do a degree apprenticeship with Unilever. Not only do I love my professional role, I value the work environment and company culture which I now understand are important factors to me. I feel inspired by the work.

I would say that overall the degree apprenticeship programme is well structured. I feel supported in the workplace. However, I also think that it is very self-led and so I think you will get a lot more out of it if you share your interests with your manager as they can seek suitable opportunities and experiences for you.

I feel very well supported by my manager. I am confident that he wants the best for me and allows me where possible to experience opportunities that can challenge and develop my knowledge. I think the scale of the company ensures a secure HR network, fighting for a safe and fair workplace.

I would say that the university aims to support around assignments and the course content. However, I do think that as we have less face to dace learning in comparison to full time students, it takes longer to get a response for questions. Having said that, we have a small cohort which allows us to have a close relationship and know our lecturers well.

I think that my degree theory teaches me a lot about packaging from a business perspective. I also value the cooperative conversations in class in which we share our knowledge from different companies working with different packaging materials. I find this valuable to enhance our learning on a larger scale.

My team are all very friendly and we are keen to go out for socials on a Friday after work. The Unilever sites all offer extra curricular activities. I have personally played for the netball team at Port Sunlight but I know that they offer a range of other activities.

Yes

The main reason I would recommend Unilever to a friend is for its work culture. I think that the company cares for your wellbeing and so there is a lot of flexibility and support on offer. Personally, I align with the company values which I think helps to give my work purpose!

I would say to be yourself in the interview. Show that you can work well in a team and are adaptable to different situations. It is likely that you will be working with teams in other regions and so I would say that it is important to show understanding/acceptance of other cultures and ways of working.