Junior Technician Review
at Charles River
Degree Apprenticeship
Science
Harlow
Review Submitted: April 2022
Overall Rating
3.6 /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!
3.5/5
-
Overview of Role
4/5
-
Skills Development
3/5
-
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
I work on pharmaceutical projects in early drug discovery. My daily tasks include cell culture, lab upkeep and running assays for client projects.
To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
3/5
I enjoy learning new things and there are lots of opportunities for development.
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
4/5
I have learnt many new skills as I have rotated around the analytical, pharmaceutical and biology departments. I have also developed my soft skills considerably.
Structure and Support
How well organised/structured is your programme?
3/5
The studying is very structured as we are given a study day a week and the university has the content presented week by week. We are given a mentor who supports us with work but it is up to the individual the structure they want.
How much support do you receive from your employer?
4/5
I receive a lot of opportunities to develop my scientific and soft skills, workshops are run for the apprentices on a variety of skills. I also know that if I ask for development in an area my employer will help me.
How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
2/5
The lecturers can be reached for questions but some do not answer or take a while, and exam and coursework marks take a while to return. But the advisor for my area is very good.
How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
3/5
It gives me the theory knowledge to apply to my work i.e. cell culture techniques, pharmacology. Some is not relevant, especially in the first year.
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
The departments often organise socials and sometimes, more in the summer, management organise team building activities or food vans to come to site.
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend Charles River to a friend?
Yes
Why?
They are very supportive, the people are nice and the work is interesting
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to Charles River?
Learn a lot about the company and think about experiments you have completed in school and what you like about them.
