I knew I wanted to do something completely different, that would challenge me and give me a positive long-term change for the future… The apprenticeship fitted the bill perfectly – giving me the opportunity to retrain, gain a nationally recognised qualification, and earn whilst I learnt.
Rebecca Stokes RSciTech
Can you tell us a bit about your work and what you do?
I am a support technician in the Infrastructure Team in the Department of Biology at the University of York. As a team, we support departmental research and teaching activities, providing a glass wash and autoclave service, maintaining various scientific equipment and facilities as well as training staff and students to use equipment and facilities. The team also monitors and maintains a range of essential health and safety equipment and procedures and assists with laboratory and office moves using specialist lifting equipment. The role is extremely varied and dynamic, involves problem solving; no two days are ever the same!
What motivated you to choose an apprenticeship, and how has it helped you build ‘skills for life’ so far?
I was looking for a career change after 20-years working mainly in higher education administration. I knew I wanted to do something completely different, that would challenge me and give me a positive long-term change for the future. I understood that this would require retraining but didn’t know what I wanted to do or where to start. The apprenticeship fitted the bill perfectly – giving me the opportunity to retrain, gain a nationally recognised qualification, and earn whilst I learnt. The apprenticeship has definitely helped me build skills for life – giving me the confidence to communicate with people in a science setting and to train people to use scientific equipment, and studying as a mature student has given me personal confidence and resilience.
Can you describe a moment in your apprenticeship where you realised you were developing skills that will stay with you throughout your career?
Coming from a non-scientific background it took me a while to feel confident in the laboratory and I would frequently defer to my team when faced with questions about the services we offer. Around 6 months into my apprenticeship I was in the autoclave and glass wash facility at the same time a member of academic staff was conducting an induction with a new student. The academic was unsure about some of the services offered and looked to me for further information. Instead of turning to one of my team for help, without hesitation, I introduced myself and began to explain more about what we do and services we offer. It was at this point that I realised I had gained not only the knowledge to do my job but also the confidence to speak to and train other people, and it felt great to be able to help. I will carry this confidence in my own abilities throughout my career – seeking advice from others when I need to but also having the confidence in my own knowledge and abilities to help and inform others.
In what ways has your apprenticeship helped you grow beyond technical skills – for example, communication, problem-solving, or resilience?
The apprenticeship has taken me out of my comfort zone on many occasions. One aspect I found particularly challenging was going back into the classroom as a mature student and especially having not stepped into a laboratory for over 30 years. I struggled with the course content of the level 3 BTEC in applied science, with balancing my time between work and study, and the experience of being back in a college classroom as a mature student. So, I was extremely proud to pass the BTEC with distinction, and to gain the confidence to integrate with my class cohort, to undertake experiments in the lab independently, and to feel empowered to ask and to answer questions during classes. I think that returning to college definitely helped to grow my personal resilience and confidence.
Have you applied for/are you considering applying for professional registration? Why?
I applied for RSciTech with the Institute of Science and Technology via the apprentice shortened route. This is a great streamlined route for newly qualified apprentices as it already recognises many of the competencies demonstrated throughout the apprenticeship. Professional registration can enhance career progression and employability and is great for professional development and networking, which are all useful as I start to grow my career as a technician. But for me personally, becoming professionally registered validated / recognised my achievement, and especially as I made the change from administrator to lab technician later in life and studied as a mature student.
How do you see the skills you’re developing now supporting your future ambitions or career pathway?
Although I completed my apprenticeship and have been employed as a support technician for around 1 year, I still feel very new to the technical world and continue to learn on the job every day. I am just starting to think about my future career path and, although I’m not sure where that will take me at the moment, the technical skills I’ve learnt during my apprenticeship and on the job will definitely provide a good basis for my future career. But for me, the personal skills I’ve developed throughout the apprenticeship – resilience, the confidence to try something new, to challenge myself and take myself out of my comfort zone – will give me the confidence to think outside of the box when it comes to my future career and not to be afraid to give something different a go.
What support or guidance has helped you build lasting skills and confidence?
The support I received from my line manager and my team was invaluable throughout the apprenticeship. Being new to the laboratory environment, I wasn’t at all confident and regularly sought guidance from my line manager and my team, and they answered all of my questions with endless patience. I understood that mistakes could cause delays to finely planned research projects or lead to costly equipment repairs. I learnt that admitting you don’t know how to do something and asking for support and guidance is not a weakness but is a sign that you care about doing a good job and getting something right – not just for yourself but for your wider team. That said, you can’t beat the first time you’re able to complete a task independently and you realise how much your skills and knowledge have come along!
If someone asked you how an apprenticeship prepares you with “skills for life,” what would you tell them?
I think an apprenticeship prepares you with a wide range of “skills for life”. In particular: teamwork and communication skills, and with a wide range of people both internal and external to the organisation you’re working in; problem solving – individually and as part of a team; time management both on the job and work/study balance; personal resilience and confidence to rise to a challenge. All of these skills are useful in a workplace setting but are also directly transferrable to life outside of the workplace in day-to-day life.
Become professionally registered
Inspired by Rebecca’s story? Find out more about the apprenticeship paths to a career in science and start your journey to becoming professionally registered.