Junior Technician Review
at Charles River
Higher Level Apprenticeship
Science
Saffron Walden
Review Submitted: April 2022
Overall Rating
4.4 /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!
4.5/5
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Overview of Role
4/5
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Skills Development
4/5
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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:
4/5
Checking solvent levels on LCMS machines, archiving NMR samples from previous days, completing different assays (e.g. logD), helping with maintenance of machines - speaking to external engineers if there is a serious problem
To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
5/5
very easy to talk to colleagues, even if just asking for help
exceeds my expectations of a scientific work place
managers/company looks after the staff well - have received company benefits which i did not expect from an apprenticeship
exceeds my expectations of a scientific work place
managers/company looks after the staff well - have received company benefits which i did not expect from an apprenticeship
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
4/5
developed lab skills, such as preparing samples for QC or NMR, creating solvents with varying compositions
developed problem solving skills, if there is an error with a machine for example
developed problem solving skills, if there is an error with a machine for example
Structure and Support
How well organised/structured is your programme?
4/5
initial induction was carried out right away, had health and safety training sorted within the first few weeks so i could get straight into the labs
very organized structure, which all have their own roles, but can cross over so everyone is connected
very organized structure, which all have their own roles, but can cross over so everyone is connected
How much support do you receive from your employer?
5/5
have regular 1:1 meetings with both my mentor and manager
have frequent contact from the HR department about lots of different resources
manager is very supportive of problems that could potentially affect work, but are not work related
have frequent contact from the HR department about lots of different resources
manager is very supportive of problems that could potentially affect work, but are not work related
How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
4/5
always someone available if i have a question about any of my coursework
How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
3/5
at the moment, the study provided is very broad, so it will help with general issues but doesnt particularly aid with any more complex or specific issues
Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)
4/5
have been a number of social events discussed
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend Charles River to a friend?
Yes
Why?
very easy company settle in to, everyone is very helpful with whatever you need
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to Charles River?
if you apply put it as one of your top choices
