Your guide to apprenticeships with Sterling
Contents What is an apprenticeship and why work for Sterling? Sterling’s success How does an apprenticeship work? Our support offer Department case studies Apprentice programmes at a glance Laboratory spotlight Engineering spotlight Manufacturing spotlight Electrical and instrumentation (E&I) engineering spotlight Business spotlight Frequently asked questions Next steps
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What is an apprenticeship? Apprenticeships are government-backed initiative designed to bring education and learning into the workplace. Apprenticeships are open to anyone over the age of 16, and they can study from a Level 2 up to degree level. Apprentices are employed by Sterling from day one of their apprenticeships. You will spend part of your time with one of our training partners studying a qualification relevant to your role. The rest of the time you will spend at Sterling getting trained on the job. Why choose an apprenticeship? Apprenticeships are a proven way to develop your skills while studying at the same time. Unlike other learning routes, your apprenticeship training is fully paid for by Sterling’s apprenticeship levy. You also earn while you learn and have access to the same benefits as all other Sterling employees. Why work for Sterling? At Sterling we truly live our values. We care about our people and our customers, and focus on delivering an exceptional, transparent service to both. It’s how our company, our people and our apprenticeships have consistently operated over the last 50+ years.
Sterling values
BE CARING Putting care into everything you do: caring about your colleagues, customers and community. Having an enthusiastic approach. Being easy and enjoyable to work with.
BE TRANSPARENT Being honest and open: having difficult discussions and making hard decisions for the good of your colleagues, your company and your customer. Building trust between teams and customers.
BE WILLING Giving your all: seeing the job through. Being prepared to identify challenges, share what you know and when you don’t know. Striving to improve. Always going the extra mile.
BE RELIABLE Doing what you say you will do:
understanding your role in the bigger picture. Being diligent in everything you do. Doing the right thing and keeping your promises.
Sterling’s success
We are supported by 11 national training providers
1 in 10 of our staff are apprentices
Since 2018 over 80 apprentices are now qualified
Around 90% of our apprentices stay with Sterling upon completion
Our apprenticeships are varied, with 15 of our departments offering apprenticeships
We have a 100% success rate for our apprenticeship programmes
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Our training partners
How does an apprenticeship work? Sterling works with training partners to design specific training programmes to meet your needs and ours. Practical training is delivered in house by skilled, time served Sterling employees, meaning you will learn industry-specific skills from day one. To develop your knowledge, you will undertake your academic studies, typically one day per week. At work, you will develop and record your new knowledge, skills and behaviours (typically in a portfolio of evidence). In the final stages of your apprenticeship, you will complete an end point assessment to demonstrate you have met the requirements of the apprenticeship.
We work with a number of training partners, throughout England, including:
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What support will I get? Sterling creates an environment to support you in achieving the outcomes you want, both in your studies and at work. You will be provided with the following support throughout your apprenticeship: Workplace mentor You will be assigned a mentor from within Sterling to help train you and develop your workplace skills. Apprenticeship officer You will be appointed a named contact from one of our training partners. They will manage your learning journey and ensure that you are on schedule with your learning plan.
How else can we support you? Better health at work Sterling champions healthier lives for all our employees. Sterling hold the Gold Award for the North East’s Better Health at Work Award. Successful campaigns have included working closely with the Newcastle United Foundation to raise awareness of mental health. Other successful campaigns this year included men’s health awareness through Movember and several fitness classes. Laptop scheme Sterling will pay up to 50% of the cost of a new study laptop for you during your apprenticeship. Cycle to work scheme Save up to 39% on the cost of a new bicycle and repay over up to three years using salary sacrifice. Engagement Hub Sterling apprentices can access multiple benefits through our exclusive employee benefits portal. With access to over 800 retailer discounts, there are plenty of ways for you to save. You will also have access to your own Wellbeing Centre and all your Sterling benefits.
Functional skills tutor Should you need to retake your functional skills, a tutor will be provided to support you.
Personal learning plan Your learning plan will be agreed with you, and any additional needs identified.
Learning and development (L&D) support The L&D team will provide you with a regular review to ensure that your programme is running smoothly.
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Quality department case study “Apprentices are crucial in our analytical department, forming 10% of our team. Our Laboratory Scientist programmes provide our analysts the skills they need to perform and succeed. An apprenticeship with Sterling is an effective way to develop skills and gain a qualification. Apprenticeships help to ensure that the skills our people develop match what is needed to exceed our customers’ expectations. As a leader, one of my proudest moments, was watching one of our laboratory scientist apprentices win the North East Apprentice of the Year Award for their work on a prototype instrument from one of our suppliers. From their work on this project, they were able to collaborate with other organisations, and were asked to present their findings in the US and Switzerland to other potential customers.”
Engineering department case study “Sterling’s dedicated apprenticeship pathways combine academic study with hands on practical training, to create apprentices with the behaviours and skill sets we need to achieve our goals. Apprentices are key to departmental growth. By finding their strengths and utilising their interests, an apprenticeship sparks motivation in our apprentices, leading them to achieve and take the department forward. Our apprenticeship programme is designed around our values. Our apprentices develop into self-managed employees, who understand the value of their work and their impact on Sterling. The curriculum of learning equips them not only the knowledge and skills they need to thrive in their chosen roles, but it also provides them with the life skills, confidence and purpose they need to succeed.”
Andy Borthwick, Operations Engineering Manager
Karen Gallon, Head of Quality
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Sterling’s apprenticeship programmes at a glance
Role
Apprenticeship standard Level
Duration
Electrical & Instrumentation Apprentice
Science Industry Maintenance Technician
3
42 months
Science Industry Maintenance Technician
Mechanical Apprentice
3
42 months
Science Industry Maintenance Technician
Process Control Apprentice
3
42 months
Manufacturing Process Operator Apprentice
Science Manufacturing Technician 3
36 months
Bioplant Apprentice
Science Manufacturing Technician 3
36 months
Laboratory Technician Apprentice
Laboratory Technician
3
24 months
Laboratory Scientist
Laboratory Scientist
6
48 months
Business Administration Apprentice
Business Administration
3
18 months
Data Analyst Apprentice
Data Analyst
4
21 months
Information Communication Technician
IT Helpdesk Apprentice
3
18 months
HR Administrator Apprentice HR Support
3
18 months
Warehouse Apprentice
Lean Manufacturing Operative 2
12 months
Supply Chain Apprentice
Procurement and Supply Assistant 3
21 months
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Laboratory spotlight
Laboratory Technician Apprentice As one of our Laboratory Technician Apprentices you will test our raw materials, intermediates and final products to ensure that we are meeting our customers’ needs. You will get to use a range of instrumentation to test materials, including infrared spectroscopy, coulometry, moisture determination and analytical balances.
calibrations, requalification of standard material and water testing.
You will gain an understanding of Sterling’s regulatory requirements and how they apply to our quality systems. Our training partner will deliver a Level 3 technical qualification to help deepen your understanding of relevant scientific and analytical principles.
Duties will vary meaning you will gain experience in a number of areas, including
Entry requirements
5 GCSEs including maths, english and science Mandatory
An interest in science
Mandatory
Laboratory spotlight
Laboratory Scientist Apprentice Our laboratory scientist apprentices perform a range of technical and scientific activities in quality control, analytical, and the research
You will support customer projects in your teams and help with method validation programmes. Through calibration and routine maintenance of instrumentation, you will help to ensure cGMP requirements are met for our customers. You will complete a BSc honours degree at Level 6, in specialism relevant to your role, which will be delivered by our training partner.
and development department. You will gain skills with a range of
scientific instrumentation, including high- performance liquid chromatography and gas chromatography. By analysing materials, you will investigate deviations and apply root cause analysis.
Entry requirements
5 GCSEs including maths, english and science Mandatory
3 A levels including a science
Mandatory
An interest in science
Mandatory
Electrical and instrumentation (E&I) engineering spotlight E&I Craft Apprentice As an E&I craft apprentice you will work closely with colleagues in mechanical maintenance and production to ensure operations run smoothly. You will learn how to calibrate instrumentation and how to maintain electrical systems. You will get to perform fault finding and repair breakdowns on process manufacturing equipment. You will help to commission brand new state of the art plant and manufacturing equipment.
Our E&I craft apprentices help Sterling to improve sustainability, by supporting energy saving initiatives. Sterling will equip you with the skills you need to operate appropriate hand tools and power tools for the task at hand. You will use a range of software packages in your daily routines. Our training partner will deliver relevant practical skills and Level 3/4 knowledge qualifications, that will introduce and then deepen your engineering knowledge.
Entry requirements
5 GCSEs including maths, english and science Mandatory An interest in engineering and understanding how thing work Mandatory
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Mechanical maintenance engineering spotlight Mechanical Craft Apprentice As a mechanical craft apprentice, you will work closely with electrical and instrumentation engineers, to support production operations. You will perform simple and complex maintenance procedures. You will develop fault finding skills, which will enable you to repair process equipment. You will help to bring new, state of the art equipment into manufacturing areas, helping production meet its aims.
As your skills grow, you will be able to identify possible opportunities to improve systems to reduce energy usage. You will be equipped with the skills you need to use hand tools and relevant power tools. You will operate a number of software packages during your daily routines. Our training partner will deliver relevant practical skills and Level 3/4 knowledge qualifications, that will introduce and then deepen your engineering knowledge.
Entry requirements
5 GCSEs including maths, english and science Mandatory
3 A levels including a science
Mandatory
An interest in science
Mandatory
Manufacturing spotlight
Process Operator Apprentice As one of our process operators you will help manufacture active pharmaceutical ingredients, meeting Current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP), safety and environmental regulations, while meeting our customers’ needs. You will produce materials safely, and to the required level of quality by following standard operating procedures and methods.
You will gain knowledge and skills by working in production areas. Our training partner will deliver a relevant Level 3 technical qualification to help deepen your understanding of process techniques and the regulatory systems that control safe working practices.
Entry requirements
5 GCSEs including maths, english and science Mandatory An interest in science and being able to follow instructions Mandatory
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Business admin spotlight
Business Administration Apprentice Business administrators are an integral part of Sterling. Working within several departments, they support the daily operations of the organisation and provide a service to both employees and customers. Duties may vary by department, but typically responsibilities include business communication, recording business data, resolving issues, working across teams and helping to drive department efficiencies.
By studying with our training partner, you will develop your communication, decision making, organisation and problem-solving skills. You will also develop project management skills by completing a project within the department.
Entry requirements
5 GCSEs including maths and english
Mandatory
An interest in wanting to progress in your career
Mandatory
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Frequently asked questions
Do apprentice get paid? Yes, they do. As an apprentice you are an employed member of staff, with a contract and agreed annual salary. Can I do an apprenticeship if I am over 21 years old? Yes, there is no age limit on apprenticeships. Sterling employee apprentices of all ages. How much does an apprenticeship cost me? Absolutely nothing! Sterling pay for all your apprenticeship study and training, meaning no student debt. How long does an apprenticeship last? The duration of your apprenticeship will vary depending on your role, but they typically last between two to four years. What opportunities are there after I complete my apprenticeship? Upon successfully completing your studying, we will help you to explore your progression within Sterling.
I have already completed an apprenticeship, can I become an apprentice at Sterling? Yes, you can, as long as you are not currently enrolled on an apprenticeship elsewhere. There is no limit to the number of apprenticeships you can complete. Do you hire apprentices every year? We hire depending on the business need. However, we hire between six to ten apprentices each year. Will I attend college as an apprentice? Typically, you will attend one of our training partners once per week to complete your studies. You will also get at least six hours per week, off the job training.
If you have any other questions, please contact our Learning and Development team at learning.development@sterlingpsl.com
For more information about Sterling, please visit our knowledge hub at www.sterlingpharmasolutions.com/knowledge-hub 15
Next steps
Consider these next steps to help you prepare to enter the world of work. Whether it be through an apprenticeship or an alternative route, these next steps are quick to achieve and will help you stand out!
Create or update your curriculum vitae (CV) Used to persuade a recruiter to hire you, your CV should be one or two pages long and should include: • Personal profile • Education • Employment history • Key skills • Achievements Create a LinkedIn profile Over 90% of recruiters use LinkedIn to find candidates. LinkedIn is a professional social networking platform, which can help you to build a relationship with other professionals in your desired industry. Use this link to get started: https://www.linkedin.com/home
Gain some work experience Sterling’s work experience department opens in April and we offer several days placement across multiple departments. Email learning.development@sterlingpsl.com for more details.
Attend careers fairs To help you understand what jobs are available and what companies are in your local area, attend a local careers fair and begin networking with local employers.
How to apply for an apprenticeship To apply for an apprenticeship at Sterling, please visit our vacancies page: www.sterlingpharmasolutions.com/careers/our-vacancies/
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