Finance Apprentice Review

Item: Finance Apprentice at AstraZeneca
Rating: 4.1
Author: Anonymous

at AstraZeneca

Higher Level Apprenticeship

Finance

Cambridge

Review Submitted: January 2023

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

3.8/5 - 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

On a day to day basis, I have a catch-up with manager and have an approval role of what gets added into the system. Every month or so, I will typically focus on a different task, from creating a diagram representing how different teams are involved in a procedure to updating information in a spreadsheet.
As a new cohort of finance apprentice join the business, I have been acting as a buddy to support their transition into the business.

To what extent do you enjoy your programme?

4/5

I have really enjoyed this program.
My managers have been very supportive in finding a balance between both giving me challenging work and making it comfortable for me to ask questions.
I have enjoyed getting to know other apprentices through networking events, to create a bubble of friends.
Lastly, I have enjoyed how I have been given a range of tasks to do to help navigate me into deciding what I enjoy and don't like as much to help me make decisions in the future in what I would like to do.

Skills Development

Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?

4/5

I have developed my skills in Excel - both formatting and and use of formulas
I have developed my presenting skills - specifically the delivery of presentations
I have improved my communications skills - talking to people in different areas and communicating via email
I have developed my written skills - how to structure the information and the language used.

Structure and Support

How well organised/structured is your programme?

3/5

Being the first cohort of finance apprentices, meant that have been adapted based off of the people involved in this scheme. It has been useful to have been communicated into what is happening and any changes that will be taking place.
It would be nice to been given more information about what happens after the apprenticeship ends.

How much support do you receive from your employer?

5/5

I receive a lot of support from my employer.
When I have an exam, they give me some time to revise outside of the 20% off the job learning and provide me with contacts on who can help with a subject.
My manager and I have developed trust into the relationship allowing me to feel like I can be honest when feeling stressed with either person or apprenticeship related topics.

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

4/5

My training provider has provided me with a lot of support.
I am given a lot of materials to go through mock and practise questions and an online portals making it accessible to access course information on the go.
When struggling with an exam, a staff member has been able to go through key topic with me helping progress in my ability to answer the questions.

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

2/5

My qualification and job role has limited topics that overlap in my daily work, but allows me to understand what different teams are doing and how it interacts with my area.

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

There is a group of apprentices who organise events for being to get involved in outside of work - for example dinners, pub quizzes, a netball team as well as in house networking events.