Labs apprentice Review

My role involves early phase synthesis of potential new medicines. Day to day I am putting on new reactions and isolating the compounds before analysing the data output. Outside of the lab I attend team and project meetings where I present my work and hypothesise new drug designs. I also take part in STEM ambassador activities.

The apprenticeship has allowed me to gain a foundation and bachelor's degree. I've gained a lot of skills from the university course as it gives exposure to different areas of chemistry than your day job. Within the workplace I've done various secondments and developed skills in synthesis and screening, as well as softer skills such as presentational and teamworking.

I'm glad I chose an apprenticeship as I've gained a lot of industrial experience as well as a degree so there's an advantage to just having gone to uni. The programme is enjoyable however there isn't a lot of structure and the apprentice experience varies massively by department, with differences in opportunities.

The programme is structured well from a university perspective, and the workload is manageable. There is less overall apprentice structure in the workplace from early talent so everyone has a different experience as structure mainly comes from your department. My department is fairly good and I get enough time to study and have very supportive mentors.

My line are really supportive with any questions or skills I want to work on. I can see they want the best for me both academically and developing as a person. Early talent are available when needed but unless you reach out can feel a bit distant so I feel this could be improved.

The uni are very supportive with both the academic work and helping to prepare for end point assessment. Sometimes there are delays with marking and feedback isn't always constructive but overall they've been very supportive. They'll also help with any workplace problems if you feel you need to talk to someone externally.

My cohort are in completely different industries so it's hard to have a course that feels really relevant to your role. In my degree there's been health and safety and buisiness improvement modules which help to develop softer skills and whilst at the time don't feel relevant, there have been occasions where I've put the theory into practice. The chemistry modules are useful at gaining a general background, however most of it hasn't been relevant in my job.

There's an onsite sportshall which is good for socialising with other apprentices. Organised socials and sports teams are starting to come back again with the easing of COVID restrictions. There's also sustainability initiatives into improving the sites biodiversity. There's also a STEM ambassador initiative which involves promoting science and careers to local schools.

Yes

There's a lot of expertise and help available to gain experience and understanding. I think the overall culture is good, however your experience massively depends on your department as not all demonstrate the values and culture. However, if your department is supportive its an enjoyable place to work, with opportunities for networking and social activities.

When applying make sure you're familiar with the values and expectations and can demonstrate them. Once onboarded flag any issues early and the business should do their best to accommodate. Take any opportunities that excite you and use the experience as best you can to develop your career and skillset.