Digital and Technology Solutions Apprentice Review
at AstraZeneca
Degree Apprenticeship
Information Technology
Macclesfield
Review Submitted: February 2025
Overall Rating
3.5 /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
-
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:
3/5
The course is rotational (approx. 8 months in a team). My current day-to-day involves working on projects related to traditional machine learning, computer vision, and AI. Part of my time is spent coding and the other keeping up to date on current research/developments and feeding this back to the team
To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
3/5
I enjoy the programme to a decent extent. The rotations have been a great opportunity to explore different parts of the business, discover new roles, and has helped narrow down the focus of my own career aspirations. The university course has become useful in my specialism year.
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
4/5
Python - software development, traditional ML
Amazon Web Services - using through the console and programmatically to store and manipulate data
Version control with Git
How to plan and given presentations
Amazon Web Services - using through the console and programmatically to store and manipulate data
Version control with Git
How to plan and given presentations
Structure and Support
How well organised/structured is your programme?
3/5
There is a lot of freedom with the rotations which is positive as I have been able to tailor the programme to my interests. The university course is slightly less organised with some modules feeling disconnected from others or that some modules should have been taught before others
How much support do you receive from your employer?
4/5
There is lots of support from the HR team if needed for deciding on rotations/if rotations are not working well. Each apprentice is assigned a buddy and mentor who I have kept in consistent communication with. I have also had the opportunity to be mentored by others for a specific aspect of my career/development.
How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
2/5
Lecturers hold two seminars per module with little to no communication outside of this. Support is available if I arrange a meeting with the lecturer, in which case I have had a positive experience overall, otherwise there is little contact between students and teachers.
How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
2/5
For the first two years, very little. The modules were too generic to apply to the workplace which has its own way of working. The technical modules were too low level for the work I am doing so they are more a reminder of the basics than actual development. Specialism modules are significantly more helpful as they are focused on Data Science techniques which can be applied to my role.
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
There are a regular number of events at work both focused on the apprentice community and the organisation as a whole. There are in-office and out-of-office social events, networking lunches, and events for diversity and inclusion. Apprentices are also encouraged to hold their own events.
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend AstraZeneca to a friend?
Yes
Why?
Many opportunities to develop and tailor the programme to your own interests and career aspirations. Lots of opportunity for upskilling/qualifications outside of what the university provides. Good support from managers/mentors/buddy/community to work through career decisions.
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to AstraZeneca?
During the interview, the interviewers are looking mostly for a willingness to learn and work with others in a positive manner. It's better to try and not stereotype what type of person the company is looking for and emulating that, rather, authenticity and enthusiasm works more
