Pebble Biotechnology Laboratories
Mark Claydon, Chief Operating Officer
INVESTING IN TALENT: DEGREE APPRENTICESHIPS AS A TOOL FOR SMEs TO UPSKILL THEIR TEAM
Meet Mark Claydon, Chief Operating Officer at Pebble Biotechnology Laboratories. They partnered with us to deliver the Laboratory Scientist (Bioscience) Degree Apprenticeship, aiming to upskill and invest in the talent of a member of their team. Mark discussed with us the benefits that degree apprenticeships can bring to SMEs, the funding options available, and the support they received from us.
CREATING A MORE EQUITABLE WORKFORCE
We are a small Bioscience business with a commercial limited company and a CIC. One of our core values is creating opportunities for individuals who have the ability but not the means. We initially recruited our first apprentice, Corban Bowers, through the Kickstart scheme, which was a brilliant scheme that gave employers funding to create jobs for 16 – 24 year olds in receipt of universal credit.
After six months of employment with us, we agreed to take him on full time, and we realised that he had more capability than just an unqualified role within the lab, so we started looking into options for him. That’s when we came across degree apprenticeships.
Previously, we were aware of the apprenticeship levy, but as we didn’t contribute to it, we weren’t aware of how it could benefit us as an SME. At first, it was difficult to believe that we would be able to access 95% funding towards Corban’s degree and be able to keep him on in the lab while he pursued the Laboratory Scientist (Bioscience) Degree Apprenticeship.
It’s just fantastic for us, because as a small business, we are always looking for ways of developing our team in the most cash-efficient way possible.
Without the apprenticeship levy and the apprenticeship scheme, we would not have been able to keep him in employment while developing the skills and qualifications he needs for his long-term career.
THE BENEFITS APPRENTICES BRING TO THE WORKPLACE
What we find valuable is that while our apprentice is learning the scientific lab skills that he needs, he is also more involved in the operational side of the business as well.
Our apprentice has been able to make a strong contribution to a key project to introduce quality improvement standards within our new laboratory environment.
Out of all the team, we picked him for this role because of the blend of hands-on experience, operational knowledge and scientific skills that he has been learning during his degree apprenticeship. His approach to the project and the contributions he’s been making have been excellent.
It’s a massive advantage to us to have a staff member who’s got that balance of academia and commercial reality and can apply that to a very practical process-engineering setting.
It’s also fantastic to see his commitment to his studies and to us grow, and we are hoping to see Corban make the most of his opportunity here after he finishes his degree apprenticeship. It has opened opportunities up for Corban that wouldn’t have existed without the degree apprenticeship.