Apprenticeships are a fantastic way to either start your career or progress it by enhancing your skills and experience if you are already at work. There are a number of benefits that make an apprenticeship a great choice. You can find our more about these, our available programmes, and the support we offer our apprentices below.

Expand your skills and experience while you earn

By working in a genuine job throughout your apprenticeship, you’ll learn in a practical, hands-on way with real ‘on the job’ experience. Apprenticeship programmes are also fully funded; therefore, you won’t have to pay anything towards your training and assessments and can progress without accumulating student debt.

Advance your future career prospects

You’ll acquire new skills that will boost your career and development opportunities in your current role, and also be transferable for the future. As well as obtaining a recognised accredited qualification.

Become part of a growing network of expertise

Our community of apprentices and employers is ever-growing. Not only will you receive ongoing support throughout your apprenticeship, but you’ll also play an important part in helping to advance the industry as a whole.

  • Where the training comes from

    • Each apprenticeship programme will include three different types of training. You will receive training while working for your employer, training from an external training provider mainly via long distance learning, and training from a cohort of advanced therapy and wider bioprocessing companies who will deliver training.

  • Off the job learning

    • As part of every apprenticeship programme, your employer will support you by allowing you a minimum of 6 paid hours per week, on average, dedicated to off-the-job study. This time is protected so you can focus on your studies, development, and learning. Your chosen registered training provider will discuss this with you as part of your enrolment process.

  • Funding

    • You will not need to fund any part of your apprenticeship programme; expenses will be covered by your employer. During your apprenticeship you will receive at least minimum wage from your employer.

  • How to apply

    • If you are looking for a new opportunity to start an apprenticeship
    You will need to find and apply for a vacancy. You can do this by visiting the gov.uk website or via our vacancies page.

    If you are already in a role that is suitable for an apprenticeship programme
    Speak to your employer through your line manager or HR department to discuss your eligibility and how to enrol. If your employer has any queries, please encourage them to contact us via email at apprenticeshipsinfo@ct.catapult.org.uk

Available programmes

The apprenticeship programmes listed here have been established specifically within the advanced therapies industry and apprentices are being recruited into these roles by employer companies.

Once these programmes are established, focus will then be placed on further in-takes for these standards as well as other suitable programmes identified.

Find out more

Will an apprenticeship work for me?

Completing an apprenticeship is an amazing achievement and certifies your occupational competence in your studied field. To successfully achieve the programme, you will need to commit your time and energy for the duration. Some of what may be expected of you is listed here.

  • Engaging with the programme and attending all aspects and events.
  • Accessing opportunities to expand your skills and experience.
  • Using your off the job learning time fully towards your apprenticeship.
  • Networking with your fellow apprentices.
  • Meeting with your manager and training provider regularly and asking for support, if needed.
  • Working independently using a computer and the internet (either at work or home).
  • Dedicating some additional time to complete assignments.
  • Becoming an advocate and champion for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) apprenticeships.
Watch: How ATAC supports apprentices

What our apprentices say

The level 5 and 6 apprenticeships have let me work towards a degree and 5 years of experience in a unique industry. Without the apprenticeship option, I don’t think I would have pursued further education at all. On top of this, the years of lab work, meetings, and getting to know people in the field should give me a great advantage in my career after completing the course.

Ted
Apprentice, CGT Catapult

Since starting my apprenticeship, I’ve gained hands-on experience in analytical assays, upstream and downstream processes, innovation projects and general lab technician duties. This has not only provided me with the same skills as my colleagues, but has opened up different career opportunities in the biopharmaceutical sector – all whilst not having to worry about student debt!

Maddie
Apprentice, Oxford Biomedica

Apprenticeships in the advanced therapies and pharmaceutical sector offer so many opportunities. You can get so much experience, your degree paid for, a salary, annual leave and an early start in growing your professional network. If you would like to experience innovation and problem-solving, this is the perfect place to start.

Izzy
Apprentice, GSK

Our ever-growing community of employers and training providers are delivering apprenticeships in the advanced therapy and vaccine manufacturing industry across the UK.

To use this interactive map, simply click on a pin to learn more. When you click on a pin, a pop-up window will appear providing additional information about the employers and training partners who are already part of our apprenticeships community. Make sure to zoom in on the map to discover all the pins.
EMPLOYER TRAINING PROVIDER

FAQs

  • Where are your apprenticeships based?

    • We are a network of over 60+ employers with apprentices as far north as Stirlingshire (in Scotland) to as far south as Portsmouth; as far west as Bristol and as far east as Essex. Get in touch with us and we will be more than happy to alert you when apprenticeship positions become available in your area of interest.

  • Who will I work for?

    • We have vacancies becoming available throughout the year at any of our 60+ employers. You can see the current ATAC employers and their locations on the map in the Community section of this page.

  • How much will an ATAC apprenticeship cost me?

    • Nothing! You will never be asked to contribute towards the cost of your apprenticeship. Your learning is funded by your employer and occasionally by the government.

  • How much will I earn while on an ATAC apprenticeship?

    • As an apprentice, you can expect a starting salary of between £16,000 and £21,000 depending on your employer, the apprenticeship you are undertaking and the area in which you work. Once you have completed your apprenticeship and have become a fully qualified member of the industry, alongside several years of work experience, you will be able to command a much higher salary.

  • How long does an apprenticeship with ATAC take to complete?

    • Depending on the programme, our shortest takes 15 months and our longest up to five years. If you already have experience in the area you are studying, you may be eligible for prior learning credits meaning you can skip certain parts of the programme making your apprenticeship shorter in duration. Your prior learning would be explored with you on enrolment onto the apprenticeship.

  • What are the entry requirements to join an ATAC apprenticeship?

    • Each of our programmes have different specific entry requirements. Normally, in England, we would ask that you already have a Level 2 (GCSE or equivalent) qualification in English and maths at grade 4 or equivalent or higher. In Scotland, you would need to have two Highers including maths and a science subject (ideally biology or chemistry) and four Standard Grades at Level 3 or National 5 awards or above including English. If you don’t hold these, we can explore options to support you in obtaining these.

    For our degree-level apprenticeships (in England) we do also have the requirement that you possess some A-Levels in science or mathematics. There is room for flexibility though, so if you are interested in joining an ATAC apprenticeship but want to talk about your A-Levels, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

  • What are my career opportunities after an ATAC apprenticeship?

    • After a successful completion you may be offered a permanent position with your employer. If your employer does not have a position for you to move into, you are still part of the ATAC network, and we can support you in seeking a position with one of the other 60+ employees that are also part of our community.

Interested in finding whether there is an ATAC apprenticeship for you?

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