Process Engineer Apprentice Review
at AstraZeneca
Degree Apprenticeship
Pharmaceutical, Chemical Engineering, Manufacturing
Macclesfield
Review Submitted: January 2025
Overall Rating
4.9 /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
-
Overview of Role
5/5
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Skills Development
4.8/5
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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
I work as a process engineer in an office/lab based role during drug development. I aid in experiments to help us design processes then ensure they can be scaled up to a manufacturing plant to produce drugs for clinical trials. I also do a lot of modelling to help determine what parameters need to be controlled.
To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
5/5
I love it! It is extremely fulfilling getting to be part of such a high impact company and given so much responsibility. I enjoy learning more technical details through my degree, but find working from a young age will really help my career and give me more opportunities to determine which career path to take.
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
5/5
My overall understanding of chemical engineering has been accelerated quicker than through my degree. I must be a leader and also a team player, make decisions and solve problems fast, learn about code and modelling as well as a lot of IT skills for data management and presenting my ideas.
Structure and Support
How well organised/structured is your programme?
5/5
My degree has been running for a while so well set up. With it all being online I am able to learn at my own pace and on my own schedule around my work. I have the opportunity to partake on secondments to widen my experience to make me a better engineer for the future.
How much support do you receive from your employer?
5/5
It has always been clear that my studies and development come first over project deliverables. I have been mentored well with what opportunities I should take to set me up well post apprenticeship. They are very understanding of the amount you are taking on, so you are able to take on as much responsibility as you like.
How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
4/5
I feel lucky that my distant learning programme has been running for a while, so they understand that you are juggling your job as well. I only have to travel up for exams, and they check in regular and provide reports of how you are doing. Hopefully there will be more understanding of the EPA as more people graduate, as this programme is still in quite early years.
How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
5/5
Links directly to my role, but gives me the core engineering principles and equations behind waat I am doing allowing me to have a greater understanding of the impact I can make and back up my decisions with scientific understanding, allowing me to approach tasks more confidently,
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 are employee resource groups that are like societies, opportunities for conferences or to present internally as well as plenty of groups that play sports together locally,
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend AstraZeneca to a friend?
Yes
Why?
all of the above!
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to AstraZeneca?
They understand you won't have a wealth of experience yet, so show your eagerness to learn and how you would be great to work alongside!
