Summary
This is a fantastically exciting opportunity to train as a services laboratory technician working at the cutting edge of medical science and development. As well as preparing for and assisting with practical medical classes, you will be working in the Services Team with 6 other members of staff supporting 34 research labs.
Wage
£25,331 a year
Training course
Laboratory technician (level 3)
Hours
Monday to Friday 8am to 4.30pm One of these days will be allocated fully to the apprenticeship course run by CSR.
36 hours 30 minutes a week
Start date
Monday 1 September 2025
Duration
2 years
Positions available
1
Work
Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.
What you’ll do at work
Some of your daily duties will include:
* Collection and return of washing up and waste for disposal
* Grading, sorting and washing up of laboratory glass and plasticware
* Operation of autoclave for making safe waste for disposal, sterilisation of glass, plasticware and media
* Operation of hot air oven for sterilisation of glassware
* Removal of waste material to waste bins
* Preparation and sterilisation of liquid media (for cell culture) and distilled water stocks
* Maintaining stocks and reporting shortages. This would include pouring agar plates to replenish stock
* Maintaining general lab cleanliness
* Morning and afternoon meal break, holiday and sickness cover at main reception
* Full training to be provided as part of the apprenticeship
Where you’ll work
Sir William Dunn School of Pathology
South Parks Road
Oxford
OX1 3RE
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
College or training organisation
CSR SCIENTIFIC TRAINING LIMITED
Your training course
Laboratory technician (level 3)
Equal to A level
Course contents
* Comply with health and safety policies and procedures including HASWA, COSHH, risk assessments, use of personal protective equipment (PPE), manual handling, emergency procedures.
* Maintain excellent housekeeping, in accordance with organisation Standard Procedures
* Order and control stocks of laboratory materials where required
* Identify, organise and use resources effectively to complete tasks applying the concepts of resource efficiency e.g energy, water and waste
* Adhere to internal and external regulatory requirements e.g. GLP, GMP, GDP
* Prepare for, and perform, laboratory experiments, tests or tasks following any specified methodologies to provide reliable, accurate data e.g. weighing, pipetting, filtering, spectroscopic techniques, chromatography techniques
* Demonstrate technical competence in the use of specified instruments and equipment
* Report faults and seek diagnostic advice to maintain equipment in good working order, including calibration where required
* Complete documentation proficiently
* Keep accurate records of laboratory work undertaken and results
* Contribute to the preparation of reports.
* Use simple statistical techniques for data presentation and evaluation e. g calculation of median and standard deviation, production of graphs
* Demonstrate problem solving techniques including identification of sources of error and how they can be reduced e.g. human error
* Use standard software packages and applications e.g. Microsoft Office suite
* Use Laboratory Information Management systems to support their work
* Address non-routine problems with samples and instrumentation, within defined areas
* Identify relevant information from scientific sources e.g. supervisors, literature etc. in order to contribute to solutions
* Participate in continuous performance improvement of systems and processes relevant to the work environment e.g. workplace organisation techniques, accreditation (e.g. ISO, UKAS) and proficiency testing.
* Evaluate data, recognise and call attention to anomalous or unusual results
* Comply with health and safety policies and procedures including HASWA, COSHH, risk assessments, use of personal protective equipment (PPE), manual handling, emergency procedures.
* Maintain excellent housekeeping, in accordance with organisation Standard Procedures
* Order and control stocks of laboratory materials where required
* Identify, organise and use resources effectively to complete tasks applying the concepts of resource efficiency e.g energy, water and waste
* Adhere to internal and external regulatory requirements e.g. GLP, GMP, GDP
* Prepare for, and perform, laboratory experiments, tests or tasks following any specified methodologies to provide reliable, accurate data e.g. weighing, pipetting, filtering, spectroscopic techniques, chromatography techniques
* Demonstrate technical competence in the use of specified instruments and equipment
* Report faults and seek diagnostic advice to maintain equipment in good working order, including calibration where required
* Complete documentation proficiently
* Keep accurate records of laboratory work undertaken and results
* Contribute to the preparation of reports.
* Use simple statistical techniques for data presentation and evaluation e. g calculation of median and standard deviation, production of graphs
* Demonstrate problem solving techniques including identification of sources of error and how they can be reduced e.g. human error
* Use standard software packages and applications e.g. Microsoft Office suite
* Use Laboratory Information Management systems to support their work
* Address non-routine problems with samples and instrumentation, within defined areas
* Identify relevant information from scientific sources e.g. supervisors, literature etc. in order to contribute to solutions
* Participate in continuous performance improvement of systems and processes relevant to the work environment e.g. workplace organisation techniques, accreditation (e.g. ISO, UKAS) and proficiency testing.
* Evaluate data, recognise and call attention to anomalous or unusual results
Your training plan
Through the training provider, CSR Scientific Training, you will undertake a Level 3 Laboratory Technician Apprenticeship which will include:
* Fully recognised apprenticeship qualification - Level 3 Laboratory Technician
* On-the-job competency training
* Theoretical knowledge - BTEC Level 3 Applied Science or L4 HNC depending on previous academic attainment.
The majority of your learning will be completed online once a week with some face-to-face practical sessions/exams in Birmingham.
Upon successful completion, apprentices can apply for professional registration as a Registered Science Technician, RSciTech, with either the Royal Society of Chemistry or Royal Society of Biology.
Requirements
Essential qualifications
GCSE in:
* x 5 including Maths, English and Science (grade C/4 or above)
Let the company know about other relevant qualifications and industry experience you have. They can adjust the apprenticeship to reflect what you already know.
Skills
* Communication skills
* Attention to detail
* Organisation skills
* Customer care skills
* Problem solving skills
* Administrative skills
* Logical
* Team working
* Initiative
* Non judgemental
* Patience
* Physical fitness