Research and Development Technician Review
at Unilever
Level 3 Apprenticeship
Customer Service
London
Review Submitted: June 2023
Overall Rating
4.8 /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!
5/5
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Overview of Role
4/5
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Skills Development
4.6/5
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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:
5/5
producing new products, putting novel formulations, chemicals, and substances to the test, To achieve this, trials must be conducted first at the lab and pilot plant scales, followed by trials in the factory. Participates in 5s projects and duties related to product enhancement. communication with various internal and external roles while attending meetings.
To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
5/5
I genuinely enjoy going to work every day, so much so, my workplace is a wonderful community with a lot of extracurricular activities including football, rugby, and netball. The rotational nature of the programme lets you try out a variety of roles, which keeps things interesting and breaks the workplace monotony.
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
4/5
I have gained a wide variety of abilities during the apprenticeship. Time management, organisation, communication, people management, as well as more concrete skills like training on specific pieces of equipment required for my role, improvements to excel, powerpoint, word, and outlook, and also developed my independence by being permitted to complete tasks either alone or with a light helping hand.
Structure and Support
How well organised/structured is your programme?
4/5
The course is exceptionally well-organized; when you start, a clear path is defined to you, and it is made obvious how things will pan out over the next five years, unless you ask for adjustments, in which case they are quite accommodating. The initial job lasts for two years, and then there are rotations into three roles of one year each.
How much support do you receive from your employer?
5/5
There is a lot of support, whether it comes from line managers, mentors, friends, or simply regular coworkers. Everyone is always willing to help with both job and school. You are given a friend and a mentor from day one, and these relationships hold steady throughout the rotations so you always have someone to turn to.
How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
5/5
Quite a little, few mentors and tutors that I have encountered throughout the course have all been incredibly simple to contact when I am not at workplace and always extremely quick to reply over email or even put in a short chat with to discuss any difficulties you may have in greater detail.
How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
5/5
It does, to some extent, since it provides background information on the subjects you will be working on at work, enabling you to enter meetings with a basic understanding that subsequently makes it easier for you to absorb the more industry-specific information you will need at work as well as the skills and mindset.
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
The fact that we are in the country means that we have access to a wide pitch where you can play sports like football, rugby, tennis, netball, squash and a running club, to mention a few. There is also a sizable group of younger individuals from the apprenticeship, graduate, and placement student programmes who are constantly eager to get things done.
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend Unilever to a friend?
Yes
Why?
Unilever has been incredibly helpful in ensuring that I get the most out of the apprenticeship; they always allow me to prioritise my studies if I need to, and as a global company, there are a tonne of chances for growth and people to learn from over the course of your five years here.
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to Unilever?
Avoid feeling nervous or worried, at first it might seem overwhelming and like you are out of your depth, but people will understand that you are fresh out of high school and are not a typical university student, so they are unlikely to place pressure on you and will likely be happy to give you more responsibilities if you feel ready for them.
