Charlotte's Story
I always enjoyed science at school and knew this was something I wanted to continue as I entered work, but I wasn’t sure exactly what area I wanted to pursue. I chose A-level subjects I enjoyed and would work together: chemistry, biology, and maths. I had decided to study veterinary medicine at university and actually applied to a few universities, but I did keep looking into different chemistry based-courses and careers.
A couple of months before I sat my A-levels I saw Victrex was hiring for a laboratory technician apprentice and decided to apply, I was really drawn to an apprenticeship as I liked the idea of being able to work while getting my qualifications and gaining lots of valuable experience.
I’ve now been at Victrex for two years and have recently finished my level 3 laboratory technician apprenticeship and I’m about to start the level 6 chemical science degree apprenticeship.
One of the most rewarding parts of my career is the opportunity to share my love of science with others through outreach events, At Victrex we’re given amazing opportunities to inspire the next generation and help them choose their options and future career, which can be a real challenge! These opportunities allow me to visit schools in the local area, sharing my love of science and talking about my career journey.
I also feel I’m making a difference through a number of sustainability projects I’ve worked on throughout my apprenticeship. These projects involve looking at our processes and seeing how these can be altered to ensure the company is as sustainable as possible (such as minimising our resource consumption and increasing recycling wherever possible). This really showed me that my work was actually making a difference as it is used on small scale in the labs as well as on a much larger scale on the manufacturing plants where it will have a much bigger impact.
If I was able to offer some advice to my younger self it would be to stick to doing the things you love and opportunities will present themselves. I always used to worry about not having a clear plan or knowing exactly what I wanted to do – but the apprenticeship I am in on was something I didn’t even know existed before I applied.
I would also say: make sure you keep your options open and look into all different kinds of opportunities. I had never even considered an apprenticeship and always had thought that university was the only option for me. But here I am, several years later, with qualifications and on a really rewarding career path.
