Supply Chain Apprentice Review
at AstraZeneca
Degree Apprenticeship
Logistics and Operations
Cambridge
Review Submitted: April 2022
Overall Rating
4.9 /5
The Overall Rating is the average of all the ratings given in each category. We take those individual ratings and combine them into one final score!
5/5
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Overview of Role
5/5
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Skills Development
4.8/5
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Structure and Support
Overview of Role
Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis:
5/5
My role comprises of managing clinical studies, the management of temperature deviations during clinical shipments as well as ongoing work based projects. As I am now in my 3'rd year, I am working on process development so there is plenty of opportunity for growth and skill development. 20% of my workload is dedicated to completing my university assignments ensuring at the end of apprenticeship I will have received four years of work-based training and a degree.
To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
5/5
I have fully enjoyed my time on the programme so far and have been every opportunity to develop my career. I enjoythat that you are given personal goals to drive towards and are given opportunities to exceed these to accelerate your personal development. The training partner provides support to help meet the assignments and ensure you get the grade of your ability. They also have facilities if you wish to develop your skills in order to achieve the higher grades.
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
5/5
During my time in the apprenticeship, lots of new and previous skills were developed. I have improved my levels and methods of communication byworking with teams in different roles contributing to a project. I have also improved on the discussion of confidential department only data. I have learnt how to manage my workload a lot better and ensure I keep a good work-life / personal life balance
Structure and Support
How well organised/structured is your programme?
5/5
My programme is has been well structured to provide me with an extensive training regime that is reviewed on a quarterly basis to ensure I am meeting current expectations and also to kick off the conversation with certain teams to start new projects. Personally, I think the programme is also well structured with the university modules and allows me to discuss the ways of working within my organisation within a module assignment.
How much support do you receive from your employer?
5/5
The support I receive on a continual basis from my line manager as well as other members of the team well exceeded my expectation when I first joined 2 years ago. I can have a serious and informal conversation at any point to discuss an idea or find a new way of completing a process. This encourages a different way of thinking which can be used to develop a new process or an idea for a university module.
How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
4/5
I have detailed modules which were done face to face and virtually over multiple days. The tutors provide great detailed knowledge about supply chain logistics and models. There are module tutors who train you in essay and report writing in order to achieve higher grades. The tutors are accessible via email and will respond to any queries and provide feedback as long as emails are sent in a timely manner.
How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
5/5
The knowledge provided by the training provider has increased the quantity of responsibility, I have taken on within my team. I am able to understand assignments and can work independently better. I am also able to train new members of the team and can take the lead on new and ongoing projects whilst delegating tasks to subordinates. At the end of the program, I hope to take a lead on more projects and use the learnings from the qualification to support.
Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)
5/5
I play football with work colleagues, on multiple occasions throughout the week. There are also socials planned by older apprentices which are accessible to anyone who wishes to take part. There are also talks about starting social societies to better ingrate new starters. This encourages social skills and networking. Having this available to me, made it a lot easier to make friends moving across the country for this apprenticeship.
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend AstraZeneca to a friend?
Yes
Why?
AstraZeneca is the first large global organisation, I have been a part of and they have treated me fairly. there is a very friendly culture embedded into the business which can be seen from the first day. I currently and will continue to recommend AstraZeneca to friends and family for roles since the company have many opportunities within different areas of the business.
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to AstraZeneca?
Take an interest in the company and the role you have applied for! Do background research and decide why AstraZeneca is the company for you. Take the interviews and any part of the application as a learning experience to develop your personal skills and this for me as well as other apprentices was one of the earlier opportunities to gain standard workplace experiences and opportunities. Be prepared to take a holistic approach to achieve AstraZeneca's goal of treating patients.
