Degree Apprentice R&D Food Professional Review
at Unilever
Degree Apprenticeship
Research
Bedfordshire
Review Submitted: April 2025
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
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Overview of Role
4/5
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Skills Development
3.6/5
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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:
4/5
In my role I make and test experimental formulations for frozen desserts (ice creams, sauces, chocolates etc.). This involves microscopy imaging, chemical and physical tests. These are intended to help make data driven decisions to aid product development. This is a mixture of lab, office and production based roles.
To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
4/5
There are a variety of projects to involve myself in and my working environment is fast paced so it rarely gets dull. There is a strong social network across site and plenty of activities to be a part of, inside and out of work hours.
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
4/5
I have learned soft skills such as organisation and time and project management. I have also been trained on a range of equipment (processing freezers, confocal microscopy etc.) and been provided external courses for further knowledge and safety (food safety, manual handling, IOSH occupational health, rheological methods). During my university lectures I have also gained insight on the wider food industry, as well as academic techniques such as data analysis, report writing and referencing.
Structure and Support
How well organised/structured is your programme?
3/5
The programme delivery is still being refined, which means that I am seeing the effort and improvement from my employer and training provider in the handling of apprentices. I appreciate how they have aimed to keep the course fresh, with a number of rotations into different teams. This will help to expand my network, my confidence and help me to gain a more holistic view of the product development stages.
How much support do you receive from your employer?
4/5
My managers consider what I find interesting and what I think will benefit my career progression. They are also considerate of work load and work-life balance, as well as having several internal and external groups and resources to help employees (e.g. Time to Talk team, D&I teams, discounts or subscriptions for services like Headspace, BUPA etc.). The company culture is fairly forgiving of apprentices in particular, as senior staff recognise that we are at the early stages of our careers.
How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
3/5
There are sufficient resources for personal wellbeing and academic support. However, being far from the physical campus does make receiving support feel more difficult. During university release however, this is no longer an inconvenience. There is a good record of learning materials and lecturers are responsive and try to flexible when they can.
How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
4/5
Whilst not totally related, my qualification has skills that transfer to my job role. As I work in R&D, innovation and wider knowledge are highly valued, so by learning about processes and basic food chemistry I can improve my ability to pick up concepts related to frozen desserts as well as viewing this new knowledge as a possible solution to problems that arise in the company. Also, my time at university helps me gain even more lab-based practice and helps me better adhere to best practices.
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
I am part of a group which regularly goes bouldering on weekdays after work. I am also on a rota for a bake club, held during working hours every Monday. There are also a number of regular activities such as football of a lunchtime, badminton, running etc.
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend Unilever to a friend?
Yes
Why?
The work culture is very friendly and you are driven to pursue lines of work that interest you. There is great support for learning and development, personal wellbeing and social involvement. The day-to-day work varies depending on what role you do, but due to the fast paced movement of the company there is always a new challenge.
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to Unilever?
From what I could gather, when assessing applicants, Unilever places a focus on confidence, initiative, good presentation skills, personal drive and clear purpose. They want to find people who are team players and who are eager to demonstrate or develop their skills to provide useful services to support the business.
