Technician Review

Item: Technician at Charles River
Rating: 3.7
Author: Anonymous

at Charles River

Degree Apprenticeship

Science

Saffron Walden

Review Submitted: April 2022

Overall Rating

3.7 /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!

3/5 - Overview of Role

4/5 - Skills Development

3.4/5 - Structure and Support

Overview of Role

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

3/5

I work in a team on drug discovery projects performing biology experiments on behalf of clients. Some of the techniques I use include qPCR, Western blotting and cell culture. I also analyse data, attend project meetings and perform technical tasks to support the department.

To what extent do you enjoy your programme?

3/5

I enjoy the programme as I have the opportunity to work with many different people in multidisciplinary teams and learn from their experience and skill. I also have lots of variety in the tasks I perform each day making it interesting.

Skills Development

Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?

4/5

I've learned lots of new scientific skills such as LCMS and NMR analysis, high throughput screening and data analysis and presentation.

Structure and Support

How well organised/structured is your programme?

3/5

The programme is well organised to allow apprentices to spend a year in different departments and experience various areas of science in drug discovery. I have one study day a week to complete my degree and the other 4 days devoted to practical work and learning.

How much support do you receive from your employer?

4/5

I have support from both my manager and mentor to check on my progress and help me with any challenges. We have regular catchups to discuss what I'm working on and any new areas I'm interested in.

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

4/5

I have meetings every two months with an advisor from my university to check on my progress with exams and coursework. I also have contact with academic advisors to ask questions related to my course content.

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

3/5

I have been able to apply learning from my course to my job to improve my understanding of the underlying science. For example, learning more about the disease areas of projects that I'm working and developing my understanding of statistics.

Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)

3/5

We have fun work social events such as bowling, concerts and golfing. We also have a gym at the science park which holds fitness classes and sports clubs such as rugby and football.