Why did AstraZeneca choose to offer Degree Apprenticeships?

AstraZeneca Macclesfield started taking on Chemical Science Apprentices in 2014 when only Advanced (level 3) Apprenticeships were available.  As we moved to Higher Apprenticeships (level 5) with Manchester Metropolitan University we always aspired to offer Degree Apprenticeships in Chemical Sciences, but the blocker was the 5-year term. Manchester Metropolitan were receptive to our requirement for a 4-year programme and we are delighted to be able to move to this option for our recent cohort. This fits well with our Early Talent strategy in this area, where a Chemical Sciences Degree is vital both for chemistry understanding and to enhance the Apprentices’ career prospects within an R&D environment.  

How has AstraZeneca benefitted from the work done by your degree apprentices?

Across the company, we have benefitted hugely in being able to bring through individuals with a unique skillset covering both four years of industrial experience and a great degree, that has been tailored to our needs.

In our own department (Chemical Development), apprentices in the Applied Technologies area are solving problems that we hadn’t been able to address previously due to the existing pressures of drug project delivery. In one instance, the tricky problem of developing an accurate solubility workflow was solved by apprentice Holly Carter, who started with a manual process, which evolved into an automated robotic platform. This led to a significant impact across not just one, but all of our current drug projects.

In the second example, apprentice James Barber pioneered a new way of gaining chemistry understanding through the development of a reaction workstation. Again, this is now available to all of our drug projects and allows automated data capture to improve understanding of our chemical processes. In both of these examples, the creativity and tenacity of the apprentices has led to a significant improvement in our development time which means we can bring our portfolio of new drugs to patients sooner than would have previously been realised.

Across the wider business, this type of groundbreaking work has led to three of our apprentices (Roxanne Wright, Holly Carter and Will Ashworth) being awarded Royal Society of Chemistry Chemical Sciences Apprentice of the Year on three consecutive occasions.

Why did you choose Manchester Metropolitan and how have you found working with us?

Manchester Met were one of the first universities to develop a course which addressed the needs of the pharmaceutical and fine chemical industries. We were drawn to their expertise in the apprenticeship field, and their understanding of the differences this brings in terms of support to the students and tailored delivery of the course.

Since we started working with Manchester Met in 2015, we have found their engagement to be incredibly strong – involving the whole range of employers in developing the structure and content of the course – not so easy when there are such diverse industrial partners involved! We have now reached a point where the desired four-year BSc course can develop with our needs as a business while knowing that the students are supported through what can be a very tough balance between simultaneous full-time work and study.

The apprenticeship team at Manchester Met have been incredibly accommodating in developing the course and listening to students’ and employers’ comments. They have a great cross-skilled understanding right across scientific delivery, course planning and management and a strong business focus and understanding of the needs of the industry. They are always on hand to discuss any aspect of apprenticeships and how we can develop and grow the scheme into new areas.

Would you recommend degree apprenticeships and Manchester Met to other employers?

I would thoroughly recommend degree apprenticeships to other areas of industry and the public sector. As discussed above, apprentices have brought a new layer to our skill base. They are driven, ambitious individuals who knew from the start that they wanted to embark on a different path to the traditional university route to a degree. This forward-thinking sets them up for coping with balancing finding creative solutions to new scientific problems in the workplace, with beginning a BSc degree for the first time – no mean feat by any measure!