Operating technician apprentice Review
at AstraZeneca
Level 3 Apprenticeship
Manufacturing
Macclesfield
Review Submitted: April 2026
Overall Rating
4.4 /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
-
Overview of Role
5/5
-
Skills Development
4.4/5
-
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
Day to day I am mainly calibrating, adjusting, performing maintenance on the production line, I also preform product and size changeovers involving fitting and calibrating tooling parts which are added onto the machine in order to complete our scheduled market orders, I also perform and comply to traceable information, quantity information, product information processes which we must adhere too by law.
To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
4/5
I love my role, my team, the warm and attentive nature of the company however I find that timescaling and pushing my own training to be something I get anxious about simply due to the fact that the fleeting opportunities I get to train can be unpredictable and not very often as there isn’t scheduling apprentice training within the production plan, I have been trying to double my training chances by looking to our sister production line to get more training exposure however this isn’t successful a lot of the time simply due to the fact I am needed to run my home line of n2, it just makes me worry somewhat as I don’t want to get to my EPA and not have all the skill set required in order to complete my final assessment to a high standard.
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
5/5
I’ve learnt a multitude of skills within my time at AZ while also developing my social skills, multi tasking, IT ability, mechanical skills, adaptability, trouble shooting.
Structure and Support
How well organised/structured is your programme?
4/5
On the whole the structure is clear and accommodating however the most recent unit we did was completely un applicable and was mostly an a level maths/science unit, both things I didn’t do at a level so I found it quite difficult in parts, and our grade didn’t count towards my final grade- I’ve previously stated within this survey my training opportunities concern.
How much support do you receive from your employer?
5/5
Whenever I need support/ have worries or issues I’m confident I can turn to my team and overhead managers
How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
5/5
Whenever I need time my manager and team are very accommodating to my course work commitments
How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
3/5
Some of it is applicable, mainly within a health and safety regard, however an element of it is not and at points we as apprentices struggle to get the correct exposure in relation to our assignment criteria as getting into different areas isn’t always feasible due to our day to day job role commitments, and simply due to the fact a period of training is required to even enter certain facilities
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
Yes a wide range
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend AstraZeneca to a friend?
Yes
Why?
Excellent company, strong emphasis on development and enhancing us as people in a work but also social capacity, huge emphasis on work life balance.
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to AstraZeneca?
Be ready to receive and act on feedback and constructive criticism, be open minded to development opportunities and integrate yourself within the team, always ask questions and remain engaged when shadowing/observing processes
