Apprenticeships and technical education
Apprenticeships
Apprenticeships are structured training programmes which give you a chance to gain a qualification while you work and earn money. Apprenticeships enable you to become a fully competent scientist by building up your skills and experience in the working world alongside experienced staff.
The combination of a qualification and work experience an apprenticeship provides will help you stand out to future employers and support your long-term career. Whichever route you choose to take an apprenticeship can help you to advance in your career with many apprentices going on to senior roles within their companies.
There is a wide, diverse range of apprenticeship types across the UK, with a range of learning options and time commitments to suit you. With levels ranging from 2 (equivalent of GCSE) through to Higher apprenticeships at level 7 (Master's Degree), there are options for all abilities and progression.
Apprenticeships have equivalent educational levels:
- Intermediate: Level 2 — equivalent to GCSE
- Advanced: Level 3 — equivalent to A Level
- Higher: Levels 4, 5, 6, & 7 — equivalent to Foundation degree and above
- Degree: Levels 6 & 7 — equivalent to Bachelor’s or Master’s degree
Apprentice of the Year award
More information about apprenticeships
Apprenticeships can be found by searching the internet for areas which interest you. However not all apprenticeships are advertised, so it is important to be proactive in your search and talk to local colleges, universities and companies about opportunities. A few examples of useful websites for finding Apprenticeships in the Biosciences can be found below:
- National Apprenticeship Service
- Wellcome — Apprenticeship Programme
- Science Council
- Apprenticeships.scot
- Amazing Apprenticeships
The Science Council are committed to raising the profile of apprenticeships and have mapped a series of apprenticeships to the professional registers Registered Scientist (RSci) and Registered Science Technician (RSciTech). They look to work with members and trailblazer groups to promote professional registrations where there is the possibility of alignment, allowing apprentices to be eligible to apply. Discover more about science council mapped apprenticeships.
Professional registration supports your career by emphasising your commitment to learning and training, whilst allowing opportunities to engage with others in the profession.
T- Levels are courses which follow GCSEs and are equivalent to 3 A Levels. They are part of a comprehensive reform of technical education, purposefully created to address identified skills gaps in key sectors. T-Levels deliver the knowledge, skills and behaviours required to perform successfully in the sector.
T-Levels establish clear employment pathways into the science sector and provide 20% on the job experience. For more information visit www.tlevels.gov.uk.
World Skills UK is a charity working in partnership with employers, education, and governments to help raise training standards and improve young people’s technical and soft skills. Visit their website to access careers advice and skills development hub.
Watch the World Skills UK Spotlight Talk on STEM Apprenticeships.
Technicians Careers Project
What do laboratory technicians do?
Find out about technicians and research assistants working in a variety of fields around the country by reading and watching the profiles below.
Meena Anissi, Research Assistant: Meena is a research assistant at The Genome Analysis Centre. She prepares fragments of DNA for next generation sequencing, programmes liquid handling robots, and develops DNA and RNA libraries. Download Meena's full profile
Gemma Cann, School Technician: Gemma is a science technician at Middlesbrough College. She supports the laboratory activities of staff and students by setting up materials for classes, assisting with practical demonstrations, and cleaning equipment after use. Download Gemma's full profile
Ian Hands-Portman, University Technician: Ian is an imaging suite manager at the University of Warwick. He looks after a laboratory full of microscopes, ranging from bench top to electron and laser scanning microscopes. In his career he has looked at a wide variety of samples including a small piece of the planet Mars. Download Ian's full profile
Elle McMaster, Research Assistant: Elle is a research assistant at Frontier Science Scotland, which specialises in the management of clinical trials, particularly breast cancer-related trials. Elle regularly travels abroad to attend conferences about the latest developments in clinical trials. Download Elle's full profile
Shaun Miller, Laboratory Technician: Shaun works as a general laboratory technician at the British Antarctic Survey. He works in science support, helping scientists to carry out experiments, maintaining facilities, and caring for animals in the marine aquarium. Download Shaun's full profile
Zoe Milne, Clinical Assistant: Zoe is a clinical assistant at Johnson and Johnson, where she supports the daily running of the clinic laboratory sites. She has had many opportunities to travel internationally to support clinical trials. Download Zoe's full profile
Matthew, Animal Technician: Matthew is a university research facility manager at Agenda Resource Management Ltd, and is responsible for the animal facility as well as research laboratories. He works closely with two technicians to ensure the care and welfare of the rats and mice within the facility. Download Matthew's full profile
Gilli Thorp, Plant Pathologist: Gilli is a plant pathologist at The Food and Environment Research Agency (Fera), specialising in fungicide efficacy trials on pathogens such as Fusarium on wheat. She also researches the management and control of disease outbreaks such as ash dieback. Download Gilli's full profile
Raquel Yustos, Research Technician: Raquel is a research technician at Imperial College London where she spends a lot of her time assisting PhD students and Postdocs. Raquel is responsible for the efficient running of the laboratory, and is required to maintain stocks and ensure equipment is used correctly and kept in good condition. Download Raquel's full profile
Watch a video from the Institute of Animal Technology (IAT) featuring six animal technicians talking about the highs and lows of their jobs.
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