Laboratory Scientist Degree Apprentice

What do you do?

Hi, I'm Alex and I'm a Laboratory Scientist Degree Apprentice at AstraZeneca, in Analytical Chemistry. This means I'm on a Level 6 apprenticeship pathway. I complete university part-time where I study towards a Chemistry degree with Manchester Metropolitan University.

How long have you been in your current role?

I started my apprenticeship around six months ago now, so I'm a first year student, and this is my first proper experience of industry in a work environment. Before this I was at college completing A levels in Biology, Geography and Chemistry.

What does your typical week involve?

Each week can look different, depending on what work needs doing, but generally my role is lab based where I complete experiments and then the office based side is where I analyse results, often with the support of my team. A lot of my week could be training based and then one day a week is always a university day, where like a normal full-time course I'm watching lectures completing workshops and revising for exams.

Why and when did you decide on a career in the pharmaceutical industry?

I first heard about degree apprenticeships through college when I was in Year 12 and I've always thought that it could be a good option for me. I felt that I knew I wanted to go into the pharmaceutical industry, so why not do that straight away, while still gaining a degree? Especially in college and also in high school my favourite part of science lessons were always the practical laboratory ones, so this role allows me to do that every day whilst having a real impact.