Science Manufacturing Technician Review

Depending on the week, some days I focus on doing lab work and testing samples, this also involves going out with chemical processing technicians and taking the samples from sample points. Other days I watch day to day activities such as tankers offloading chemicals and I also watch engineering work.

Before starting my apprenticeship, I went to Greenhead college and studied biology. We did many practical's involving lab work but sometimes I struggled to follow complex methods. From doing continuous work at Syngenta, my ability to follow long methods with lots of terminology has increased a lot and I feel confident when doing tests.

When I got the job at Syngenta I still didn't fully know what to expect, but after months of experience I feel like I understand what the chemical industry involves and what it consists of. So far, I am really enjoying my program and look forward to see what the future holds.

I feel like Syngenta has balanced out college work and actually working on the site well. Despite Covid-19 throwing a spanner in the works, Syngenta has managed to keep the apprentice program going which has kept me in a really good routine meaning I always have something to be doing.

In this apprenticeship, I have noticed how easy it is to get support from my employer. If I have any issue or blockers at work I know my employer is only one click away and they will sort any situation out quickly and fairly. I also get a lot of support from my college tutors.

In our apprenticeship, we have 3 tutors currently teaching us different units at college. I find this beneficial as I know there is always someone available to contact and they also will respond to help me outside of work hours. They always provide us with relative exam questions prior to any tests.

Learning about processes in the chemical industry at college has helped me apply this knowledge to real life scenarios at work such as valve types and how they work, also by doing mathematics at a high level at college has helped me when working out calculations and applying formulas when needed.

Due to joining at the start of a pandemic, I do not know much about the extra curricular activities which take place at Syngenta. I do believe that there is a football team and that they have a match every year which is god as I enjoyed playing football before Covid-19.

Yes

I already have recommended Syngenta to many of my friends as I feel if you have an interest in this type of work you should excel. There are also many benefits involved when working here both financially and by just getting experience at a high quality and we are a top tier COMAH site.

My advice is to never feel put off when applying to a place of this size and complexity. You get all the support you need and everyone who works here is always happy to help you and make sure you the best experience possible in your apprenticeship. If you put in the work then the apprenticeship works even better.