Process Industry Manufacturing Apprentice Review
at AstraZeneca
Level 3 Apprenticeship
Manufacturing, Pharmaceutical
Macclesfield
Review Submitted: April 2026
Overall Rating
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!
5/5
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Overview of Role
5/5
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Skills Development
5/5
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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
On a 2-3 year apprenticeship scheme. Rotating around the company to get an appreciation and gain experience from all the different roles on site. Previous and current roles include: Warehouse Operator, Process Chemist, SHE Advisor. Day-to-day is doing what the people around us do. Warehouse: Inventory Management and supplying the plants with what they need. Process Chemist: Working in a lab and helping to produce Copolymer for the plants. SHE Advisor: Working alongside Health & Safety professionals and completing admin work as well as completing Risk Assessments.
To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
5/5
I really enjoy my apprenticeship and learning about the company and where I can go.
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
5/5
New skills: Manufacturing, GMP, Health and Safety, Occupational Health, 5S, COSHH, Risk Assessments, Lab Safety, SAP, Leadership
Developed skills: Communication, IT Skills, Problem Solving, Calculations, Organisation, Teamwork, Initiative
Developed skills: Communication, IT Skills, Problem Solving, Calculations, Organisation, Teamwork, Initiative
Structure and Support
How well organised/structured is your programme?
5/5
Well structured from our manager. Clear what is expected of me through my 1-2-1s.
How much support do you receive from your employer?
5/5
My apprenticeship manager is really easy to escalate issues to.
How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
5/5
Cogent Skills is our assessor and he is great, the monthly meetings are really enjoyable.
How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
5/5
There are some things that are exactly what we do (5S, Lean, Manufacturing, Health and Safety) and it helps us understand by learning the theory and seeing the practical side too.
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 plenty to do
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend AstraZeneca to a friend?
Yes
Why?
It is a great place to work because it offers real responsibility from day one, strong development support, and the chance to contribute to meaningful, science‑driven work. AstraZeneca emphasises that early‑career employees directly contribute to discovering, developing, and delivering life‑changing medicines. Apprentices are part of teams whose work has a genuine impact on patients and society. AstraZeneca’s apprenticeship programmes are designed to help people learn and grow from day one, with hands‑on work, real ownership, and continuous feedback. The pay is great as well, you get a competitive salary, annual bonus, annual salary increase, fully funded education and qualifications, and access to health and wellbeing support programmes.
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to AstraZeneca?
If your values align with the company values and you have a passion to learn new things and learn from others then you will really enjoy the apprenticeship and the work environment as a whole.
