Samuel is a 24-year-old apprentice on the L7 Research Scientist Apprenticeship. This is his second apprenticeship as he has previously completed the L6 Laboratory Scientist at Manchester Metropolitan University. Samuel has now worked for the company, Carbogen Amcis for around 6 years and has kindly shared his journey and experience as an apprentice so far.
Can you tell us a bit about Carbogen Amics and what your role involves?
Carbogen Amics, is a chemical contractor that works with clients in early-stage drug development. Many of these projects are moving towards preclinical or early-stage clinical trials, and our role is to help optimise the chemical reactions so they can be applied at a large scale. My role as a Process Research & Development Chemist is to do exactly that – optimising chemical reactions to make them viable for large scale manufacturing.
Why did you choose the Level 7 Research Scientist apprenticeship?
When I finished my Level 6 apprenticeship, I wanted to continue my academics studies by either completing a Masters or PHD. My preference was to complete another apprenticeship, so I started looking around and discovered the one at Kent. Whilst I completed a chemistry degree for my previous apprenticeship, I also took a pharmacology module and that module tied in nicely to the contents of this course. This course expanded on the biological aspects of pharmacology whilst also covering the research, project management, and business aspects of my role, which gave me the opportunity to continue developing in these areas.
You were the first in Carbogen Amics to enrol on the L7 Research Scientist Apprenticeship. Can you tell me about how you pushed to do this apprenticeship and how your company supported you in achieving it?
Towards the end of the level 6 apprenticeship, there was discussions between me, one other apprentice and our management of our next steps. The other apprentice went on to pursue a PhD, but I said that I’d like to complete a master’s degree apprenticeship. My management said that if I can find one that is suitable then they will support me. I researched online and spoke to a few people from my previous apprenticeship, like the staff and faculty. I ended up finding the research scientist apprenticeship through the Gov UK website and I proposed it to my manager. Together, we reviewed it, passed it on to HR and arranged a meeting with the module leaders to discuss whether it was feasible. After we agreed it was, I went ahead and enrolled. Overall, it was a straightforward and seamless process.
Can you describe a typical day or week in your role?
My day is split between office work and working in a lab. At the moment, my priority is completing my Master’s project and as the technical lead for this project I am responsible for communicating my team’s workload for the day. My day also involves reviewing any data from the previous day and also carrying out more reactions.
Towards the end of the day, I analyse these reactions and communicate with the relevant stakeholders about the project’s status, helping them make decisions on how to progress.
Occasionally as well, I’ll have smaller tasks. For example, I’m a part of the social committee, so, I also have non-science-based responsibilities.
What are your personal goals for the remainder of your apprenticeship? Are there specific projects, research areas, or technical skills you hope to master?
At the moment, my main goal is to complete my Master’s project, including writing up and submitting my dissertation. Beyond that, I have three main goals I am focusing on.
The first is continuing to develop my project management skills. I’ve recently started working on this through my Master’s project, and I know it is an essential skill for my career.
The second is improving my communication skills. I want to become more precise and critical in how I communicate, particularly with people from non-technical backgrounds. My aim is to bridge the gap between technical knowledge and understanding, so I can explain my work clearly, whether I’m describing what I do in the lab or broader scientific concepts.
The third one is more of a personal goal, but I’ve recently started looking into like efficient use of large language models like AI. I’m trying to become more proficient in it whilst also working with the innovations team to potentially implement these tools at my company.
What have been some of the most exciting projects or research tasks you’ve worked on so far at Carbogen Amics?
In terms of the work that I do, it is generally non-visual. Most the data that I work with is numerical or qualitative, but there have been a couple of projects that I’ve worked on throughout the years called design of experiments (DOE). They are a complex statistical method for visually depicting the most optimal conditions for reactions. So, things like, how hot do you heat the reaction? How long do you stir it for? What ratios of reagents do you use?
Using Wizardry with mathematics the result is a really cool 3D/2D graph with a heat map.
What kind of support have you received from your employer and training provider? Are there any mentors, or colleagues who have made a big difference in your journey?
I’ve definitely had a large variety of support from both, internal staff and the staff at Kent. My line manager has been particularly supportive! For example, helping me with goals such as my work on AI. They encouraged me to approach the innovations team so I could contribute to their projects.
During my apprenticeship, I have not only worked in the research department but have also completed secondments in quality control and our small-scale manufacturing department. These experiences have allowed me to develop my scientific skill set and gain a better understanding of the business structure and how the company operates across different disciplines. Because of this variety of support and exposure within the company, I haven’t often needed to reach out to the university, but, when I have needed it, they’ve been a great help!
How do you find the split between on-the-job and off-the-job training? Do you have any tips for managing workload and study time effectively?
It can be very difficult, but I’ve found this more manageable than my previous apprenticeship. The biggest thing that’s helped me is maximising the time that I have at work. If I have an hour or two of downtime, I will try and fit my university work in there.
One of the biggest difficulties I’ve had is the apprenticeship’s emphasis on biology, it’s not something that I’m used to. I haven’t done biology since GCSE, so I had to spend quite a lot of time on the fundamentals. Trying to take advantage of those brief periods of time during work is really important.
Also, sometimes you just have to write off a couple of weekends, it just has to be done!
What are your plans after completing the apprenticeship?
Moving forward from my apprenticeship, I think my current priorities are to deepen my project-management skills and broaden my understanding of business operations. Project management is a critical skill for progressing in my career, and recent exposure to some business strategy in my apprenticeship has sparked an interest in learning more about that. I’m also a very social person and thrive in collaborative environments, so I could also see myself in a managerial position and leading a team as my career progresses.
What advice would you give to someone considering or applying for the Level 7 Research Scientist apprenticeship?
I definitely recommend it! The learning opportunities and the skills you can develop through this apprenticeship, or another Level 7 apprenticeship, are absolutely worth it.
It is a lot of work and at times can be difficult, but as long as you have the discipline you will get through it and come out of the apprenticeship with a very robust CV.
With the Level 7 funding changes, now is the time to act to enrol on the programme! Our last cohort starts in December. Please email recruitapprenticeships@kent to discuss hiring an apprentice.