From school to full-time employment: My apprenticeship at Syngenta

By Jaiden Hawkins, Syngenta Apprentice

​Our third and last story for this National Apprenticeships Week features Jaiden Hawkins, an Apprentice Experimentalist at Syngenta. Currently four months into his apprenticeship, he shares his experience and what you should expect before applying for one.

On the 30th of September 2019, I started my five-year apprenticeship with Syngenta.
As an apprentice at Syngenta, my job title is ‘Apprentice Experimentalist’. While that sounds broad and not lab-specific, it’s because I will be rotating across various teams within the Product, Technology and Engineering departments on a 6-month basis for the first 18 months – this’ll give me exposure to a wide range of areas before I commit to a department for the rest of the apprenticeship.

I didn’t think Science-based degree apprenticeships existed.
Before this apprenticeship, I was studying my A-levels at sixth form in Chemistry, Biology and Maths. I had already decided on a university and had my heart set on going until I chanced upon this apprenticeship while browsing around for future career job possibilities in Science.

While I was initially hesitant, I thought of my older brother – who did his degree apprenticeship in Business – and decided to read on about Syngenta’s Science Apprenticeship. To my pleasant surprise, I learnt that the five-year programme was not only paying for the work, but was also providing the opportunity to study a debt-free Bachelor of Science with Honours degree in Applied Chemical Sciences!

The combination of factors could not have been better. I applied, eager to find out more – and as you would know by now, I was successful!

Going into full-time employment straight from school was a big change.
Having only been in school up until I joined meant that I was used to following a teaching curriculum. As an apprentice, things are different. The work given from your degree must now be juggled alongside the work given from your full-time job, too!

Although going into full-time employment straight from sixth form was a massive jump for me, I’ve found that my lab-based practical skills and experience have grown so much more in the short time I’ve been at Syngenta than it ever had at school.

Be sure you know what an apprenticeship entails before you apply.
Before committing to an apprenticeship, be sure you go in with the understanding that while the programme is a training period, it is in equal parts a full-time job. And if you’re coming straight from school like I did, be prepared to embrace a totally different style of learning and working.

Lastly, an apprenticeship should be based on where your interests lie.
As an apprentice, the upside is that you’ll be able to develop relevant, applicable workplace skills and experience. These will be valuable in providing you with the upper hand for your next move, over someone with a degree and no experience.

This is why taking on an apprenticeship will best suit you if you’re truly enthusiastic about the line of work in that specific role, and want to refine your practical skills on the job. Moreover, don’t be scared to ask senior members of the workplace lots of questions – this will define how much you develop during your time with them!

Good luck!

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