Name: Shaan Gill
Age: 21
Company: AstraZeneca
Apprenticeship: Oncology Apprentice
Department: Translational Medicine
Location: Chesterford Research Park
Degree: Applied Bioscience
Education Provider: University of Kent
Started apprenticeship:
What apprenticeship are you currently doing?
I am currently completing a Level 6 degree apprenticeship with AstraZeneca and the University of Kent which will take 4 years and 9 months to complete. The end result will be a BSc Bioscience degree and just under 5 years industry work experience. My time is split 20/80 between study and work, 1 day a week is dedicated to studying online via distance learning with the University of Kent and the remaining 4 days working at AstraZeneca.
AstraZenecaI am based in the Oncology Translational Medicine department. We carry out biomarker analysis of human tissue and blood samples from real patients enrolled in AstraZeneca clinical trials testing new cancer medicines. The data produced is used to; understand the impact of the medicine on the tumour and microenvironment, define dosage levels and schedule, identify the right patient populations and define the mechanism of resistance.
Why did you decide to apply for an apprenticeship?
apprenticeshipLike many 17/18 year olds finishing sixth form or college, the most conventional next step promoted by schools is to go to university in order to gain a degree. At my sixth form I completed the International Baccalaureate (IB) and they primarily encouraged university going forward. I fortunately discovered degree level apprenticeships in a laboratory environment during a work experience week. This had a great appeal to me as apprenticeships provide the opportunity to both study for a BSc degree and gain hands on experience by working in industry. I can enter the workplace and start building my career immediately without the worry of debt and lack of experience. Furthermore, I am able to understand the application of my knowledge gained in my degree in the real pharmaceutical setting instead of theoretical experiments.
What have you found beneficial from doing an apprenticeship programme?
I found numerous benefits from the apprenticeship programme in comparison to university. The most apparent advantage being the vast amount on hands-on experience gained throughout the programme. At my apprenticeship I’ve been able to work in a world leading pharmaceutical company contributing to real oncology drug development from the first day.
