I was 17 when I completed my 6th year at school and, through apprenticeship.scot, I found a Modern Apprenticeship with Symbiosis (based in Scotland). Further education was not attractive to me due to high student costs and uncertain employment prospects, so I was really pleased to have the opportunity of two years of work experience and an HNC in Applied Biological Sciences through day release at college. The course was very interesting and relevant my to work. I was very shy and lacking confidence when I started, but now with the help of supportive colleagues, I feel I am contributing to the Technical Team at Symbiosis.

In the working environment, I have developed my communication skills along with the ability to prioritise and manage my workload. There’s a lot to learn when joining a complex industry, but with tailored on-the-job training and exposure to business, technical and quality systems, I feel I have come a long way in my understanding. ATAC has been great, too – with access to relevant and informative webinars to widen knowledge. ATAC has also set up events which have been great opportunities to learn about other companies and network with other apprentices. I have even been a panellist at industry virtual conferences designed to encourage other pharma companies to take on apprentices and, as well as experience the benefit themselves, give other young people the same opportunities as I had.