Drug Discovery Apprentice II Review

by Charles River

Best Apprenticeship Employer

Rating

6.9/10

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

Day to day on my current rotation I work in Tissue Culture which day to day involves regular passaging for cell lines to keep confluent and healthy for requested project work either internal or external. I have some other additional responsibilities including housework tasks and the QC process for chemistry

6/10

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

My timekeeping has had to improve significantly to balance daily tasks along with meetings in my calendar, which has had some carry over to real life. Along with this working in a team is a wider skill that I have developed to work to greater goals for the teams objectives.

7/10

3. To what extent do you enjoy your programme?

A lot of the work is fairly repetitive however that is the nature of science, and it is wisest to motivate yourself with the knowledge that what you do day to day contributes to scientific research and possibly the development of a life changing or saving drug for the patients.

6/10

4. How well organised/structured is your programme?

We have rotations around departments in the discovery wing of the company which lets you get a greater feel for the overall business and where you may like to continue if you choose to continue working with the company post apprenticeship. It's fairly clear on how to progress overall.

8/10

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

Whenever I have required support it has been available even if few and far between as I have had fairly limited issues, with extracurricular activities being prevalent keeping you satisfied with your work. There is a wide range of sources for support to find what matches you specifically the best.

8/10

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

Learning is mostly independent with having to manage my own learning and deadlines which allows for great flexibility. However early on this lack of structure wasn't encouraging and some elements I have only come to understand fully recently. My employer has shown good support for evidencing my practical requirements.

6/10

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

In my current role in the company my study applies more as it is cell culture it has a biology core, far more than last year in compound management. My study knowledge supplements my role however I would be able to complete my role with none of my current study.

5/10

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.)

Although I may not get involved with all available extracurricular activities there are plenty provided whether including non competitive sporting activities, running, painting and social activities in and outside of work are a regular occurrence. These are spread in a good schedule to always have something to look forward to.

9/10

9a. Would you recommend Charles River to a friend?

Yes

9b. Why?

As a company the support and ethos is a nice environment which provides a range of roles for different people. I appreciate the flexibility in working hours and location as well as having good immediate top down support at least for myself. Overall a good place to work in conclusion.

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

Research and find out what your role involves to see what will be best suited to you as mentioned there is a range of roles which do vary significantly so making sure you pick the space that will be the best for you is important in allowing you to progress.