Find your vocation

Tonicha Roberts RSciTech works as a forensic analyst at Eurofins Forensic Services. She recently graduated from an apprenticeship, and the permanent job she now holds has never previously been done by someone without a university degree.

"Almost two years ago, I believed I’d ruined any chance I had of working in science, as the traditional route didn’t work for me. Now, at the age of 20, I’m a forensic scientist, working to aid the criminal justice service; something I’m very proud to be a part of. I’ve just been offered the position of a trainee analyst, which is something that’s never been given to a non-graduate before. I’m absolutely honoured to be the first one to do that, but hopefully this opens the doors for other apprentices to take the same route.”

What is an apprenticeship?

An apprenticeship takes the form of a paid job with a structured programme of training and usually one day a week devoted to theoretical study. The government has made a number of reforms to apprenticeships across the UK in recent years, with a new focus on competency, rather than qualifications. Apprenticeships in England are built around apprenticeship standards designed by employers to describe the knowledge, skills and behaviours an apprentice will develop in order to carry out a specific job role or occupation. At the end of their course, apprentices have to complete an end-point assessment that determines whether they are now competent in the job role for which they have been training.

Many apprenticeships do still have a qualification associated with them, including those in the chemical sciences. This is to ensure that students completing an apprenticeship are not disadvantaged in future job applications, and are able to show their training to be equivalent to more traditional, academic credentials. 

There are a number of apprenticeships currently offered in the chemical sciences under the new apprenticeship standards, including:

• Level 3/4: Laboratory Technician – BTEC or HNC qualification
• Level 5: Technician Scientist – foundation degree or HND qualification (awaiting funding band at time of writing)
• Level 6 (degree apprenticeship): Laboratory Scientist – BSc degree

There are currently around 400 science apprenticeships started each year in the UK and this is growing, with particular increase in the number of degree apprenticeships on offer. “Degree apprenticeships have only been available for a relatively short period of time, but in that time we have seen growing interest from both individuals wanting to undertake a degree apprenticeship and universities wanting to deliver them,” explains Richard Holliday, our vocational skills programme manager.

“This is a great time for businesses to think about degree apprenticeships,” says Liz Gorb, director of apprenticeships at Manchester Metropolitan University. “We are already working with more than 130 employers and leading the development of new programmes to meet employer demand. With new funding opportunities and the introduction of the apprenticeship levy, there has never been a better time for organisations to work with us to help their business grow, to introduce and train new talent, and develop and upskill current employees.”

The training and study aspect of an apprenticeship can be delivered by the employer, but is more usually supplied by a further education college, independent training provider or university. The training they provide can be taught at the learning institution, onsite at the apprentice’s place of work, or in combination with distance learning. The employer covers the cost of all training and course fees (with the support of government funding) so, unlike university students, apprentices don’t have to pay anything to complete their course.

Accreditation and professional recognition

We work with employers, further education colleges, universities and private training providers to accredit their delivery of apprenticeships in the chemical sciences, ensuring the training their apprentices receive is of the highest standard. Apprentices enrolled on accredited programmes are eligible to apply for one of our professional registers at the end of their course. The registers are competence-based designations that demonstrate a high standard of professional practice and commitment to further skills development. Level three and four apprentices can apply for Registered Science Technician (RSciTech) and level five and six apprentices could receive Registered Scientist (RSci). The registers are building blocks that support practising chemists to work towards becoming chartered.

“For apprentices, the ability to have that recognition, that extra bit of confidence and that improved status that it brings, is really important,” says Simon Jukes, director of CSR Group, an accredited training provider that specialises in scientific apprenticeships. “For businesses, the benefit of professional recognition is really tangible. To be able to make people sit up and listen to us, when we go into employers and talk to them about what we offer, with the support of the Royal Society of Chemistry and the professional recognition behind us, it opens doors and gives us credibility.”

Through our work to support the academic community, we have historically had very strong links with higher education institutions, and we continue to use these to support universities delivering apprenticeship programmes. More recently, we have looked to strengthen our relationships with the further education (FE) sector offering training in these areas, and have developed a collaborative approach that sees us formally enter into agreements to work together to promote opportunities in the chemical sciences. As part of these agreements, we deliver membership and professional registration talks for FE providers, hold joint events to promote chemical science apprenticeships and support the providers with working towards accreditation.

As well as organising regular visits to the training providers, we have held graduation ceremonies for all apprentices completing courses with our accredited training providers and employers. This is a great opportunity for FE providers, universities and employers involved in apprenticeship schemes to network and share best practice, and is a real celebration of vocational learning. Tonicha was one of the apprentices who spoke at our graduation ceremony last year and also received her RSciTech certificate.

“It was only the second time I’ve given a talk but because of how well my apprenticeship has gone, and all the experiences that I’ve had, I feel compelled to pass on what I’ve learned,” said Tonicha. “Apprenticeships are never really spoken about in school. People think of hairdressing and construction, but in science, I had no idea that they existed. I think in all honesty if I had known that beforehand I would have applied for one sooner.”

Future laboratory leaders

So what do employers get out of running an apprenticeship scheme?

“We were struggling to recruit the right people,” says Janet Bowman, laboratory quality manager at Thames Water, speaking at our 2017 graduation ceremony. “We need people with hands-on practical skills and experience. Our apprentices become experts in the analytical methods they use every day; we train them so they have end-to-end ownership of the process. They will become our future laboratory leaders so it really helps our succession planning.”

Recent government reforms to apprenticeship funding mean there are also financial incentives for employers to start apprenticeship programmes. Organisations with a wage bill over £3 million a year now have to pay an apprenticeship levy of 0.5% on anything over that. Companies can claim this back, but only to spend on apprenticeship schemes.

“The biggest misconception about apprenticeships is that an apprentice is suitable only for filling low-skilled roles,” says Jenny Kingston, an associate principal scientist at AstraZeneca, whose company training is accredited by us. “We have focused on recruiting the most enthusiastic talent, providing an alternative scientific career path. We have designed roles that will allow our apprentices to continue to develop their skills and knowledge throughout their apprenticeship programme, becoming independent scientific contributors to our research projects.”

“It’s an important way into science – skills are really important for organisations like ours,” explains Dr Derek Craston, chief scientific officer at life sciences company, LGC. “We do complex things that need good technical knowledge and good practical knowledge. The conventional route of just going through school and going onto university works for some people, but it doesn’t work for all.”

Find out more about apprenticeships

We have lots of links with employers and training providers, as well as an in-house careers team, so if you’re an employer, teacher or parent looking for more information on apprenticeships in the chemical sciences, you can contact us by clicking on 'Send us an email' under "Registered Scientist and Registered Science Technician" on the left of this page.

For more information about apprenticeships in England, visit the gov.uk website or search the list of apprenticeship standards.

Apprenticeships are funded differently in the devolved nations and often have different frameworks and standards. Visit the respective government websites to find out more about apprenticeships in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.