Junior Technician Review

Item: Junior Technician at Charles River
Rating: 4.1
Author: Anonymous

at Charles River

Higher Level Apprenticeship

Science

Saffron Walden

Review Submitted: April 2022

Overall Rating

4.1 /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!

4/5 - Overview of Role

4/5 - Skills Development

3.6/5 - Structure and Support

Overview of Role

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

4/5

- plate moving- retrieving plates from storage, barcoding plates, put plates back into storage
- operating liquid handling equipment, e.g. Dual Mosquito, and processing the data from it
- lab housekeeping

To what extent do you enjoy your programme?

4/5

I really enjoy it. As part of the apprenticeship I get to rotate through departments each year and learn new skills. The team I work with are very helpful, and the company is really supportive and take the time to develop each employee individually. This apprenticeship has exceeded my expectations.

Skills Development

Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?

4/5

I have developed my communication skills and my time managing skills. My scientific knowledge has drastically improved- both in the lab and from my individual learning, as has my knowledge of using automated liquid handlers. I get the opportunity to develop these skills further too.

Structure and Support

How well organised/structured is your programme?

3/5

My training for this department has been very organized despite difficulties in having enough people in the department. The trainer was thorough and explained things really well. The studying is also well organized however sometimes the lessons aren't as well explained as they could be.

How much support do you receive from your employer?

4/5

The company is very supportive in every aspect of the job. I have a manager and mentor both of which are supportive and helpful.

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

4/5

Although I haven't really need to so far, my manager has offered me help if I am struggling with my studies, as have numerous colleagues who are more than happy to help.

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

3/5

Sometimes my studies are quite distant from my job role, however this is mostly due to complexities of the job role that aren't explained in basic biology. I do think, however, the more I learn in my studies the more it becomes applicable to my work.