Summary
Based primarily within the Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, you will have a great chance to develop and grow your career as a Chemical Laboratory Assistant. We will support and help you to develop the skills, experience and knowledge you will need to succeed, whilst undertaking a full time 4-year Apprenticeship.
Wage
£23,563 a year
We provide a range of benefits and rewards, including leading fitness and health facilities, staff discounts and travel schemes. We also offer an excellent holiday allowance of 25 days, plus additional university closure days and bank holidays.
Training course
Laboratory technician (level 3)
Hours
Hours of work are full-time (36.25 per week), worked 5 days, Monday to Friday.
36 hours 15 minutes a week
Start date
Monday 1 September 2025
Duration
4 years
Positions available
2
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
You will receive practical training in the faculty’s extensively equipped laboratories on a range of standard and specialised pilot-scale chemical laboratory equipment/instrumentation, techniques and processes from our experienced and qualified science/engineering technical specialists.
There will be opportunities for you to learn and train on a wide range of cutting-edge chemical laboratory technologies including:
* Chemical analysis techniques
* Variety of methods: sampling and sample resizing, rotary evaporation, soxhlet extraction, leaching/digestion, distillation, 3D printing etc
* Experimental design, method development, testing and implementation
* Materials testing and characterisation.
Where you’ll work
University Park
Nottingham
NG7 2RD
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
College or training organisation
LOUGHBOROUGH COLLEGE
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
As well as practical learning and experience, you will attend a 4 year academic programme at a local FE college.
Qualifications to be undertaken will include:
Advanced Apprenticeship Level 3 Laboratory Technician
Internal training courses relevant to role
During your apprenticeship, you will be fully supported by and learn from highly experienced and qualified engineering technicians, who are knowledgeable and passionate about their discipline.
Requirements
Essential qualifications
GCSE or equivalent in:
* 5 GCSE's including English, maths and a science (grade 4 - 9)
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
* IT skills
* Attention to detail
* Organisation skills
* Problem solving skills
* Number skills
* Analytical skills
* Logical
* Team working
* Initiative
Other requirements
Our University has always been a supportive, inclusive, caring and positive community. Recruitment/ appointment will be based purely upon merit