Laboratory Technician Apprentice

ALS LABORATORIES (UK) LIMITED

Shrewsbury (SY1 3EH)

Closes on Friday 19 June 2026

Posted on 27 April 2026

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Summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen within our Shrewsbury laboratory where we are looking to appoint an enthusiastic and dedicated individual with a passion for science. As part of the ALS team, you will be involved in a range of analytical areas, which include the testing of food and processed waters for various customers.

Wage

£19,874 a year

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Training course
Laboratory technician (level 3)
Hours
There are a variety of shifts available. During your apprenticeship period the majority of your working hours will be Monday – Friday however you will be expected to be flexible with time as some departments will require you to work 11:00 – 19:30.

40 hours a week

Start date

Monday 7 September 2026

Duration

2 years

Positions available

1

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

Some of your daily duties will include:

  • Basic preparation (weighing) of food samples. Pipetting samples and pouring media into petri dishes.
  • Working in the media department preparing broths, diluents, and agar plates.
  • Working in the pathogen laboratory, subculturing samples and assessing bacterial growth
  • Completing traceability records and adhering to quality policies
  • Performing daily calibrations and checks.
  • Ensuring assigned work is carried out in a timely fashion following the relevant procedures
  • Adherence to the COSSH Risk Assessment
  • To comply with the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) requirements and ensure safe manual handling of chemicals/equipment
  • To report any near-misses or incidents to the line manager

Where you'll work

Yeomanry Road
Battlefield Enterprise Park
Shrewsbury
SY1 3EH

Training

Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.

Training provider

CSR SCIENTIFIC TRAINING LIMITED

Training course

Laboratory technician (level 3)

Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)

What you'll learn

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

Training schedule

You will undertake a Level 3 Laboratory Technician Apprenticeship with an Ofsted rated 'Outstanding' training provider, CSR Scientific Training, which will include: 

  • Fully recognised apprenticeship qualification - Level 3 Laboratory Technician
  • On-the-job competency training
  • Theoretical knowledge - BTEC Level 3 Applied Science or Level 4 HNC (depending on previous qualifications)

The majority of your learning will be completed online once a week with some face-to-face practical sessions/exams in Birmingham (if BTEC/HNC is included).

Upon successful completion, apprentices can apply for professional registration as a Registered Science Technician, RSciTech, with either the Institute of Physics, Royal Society of Chemistry or Royal Society of Biology.

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

x 5 including Maths, English and Science (grade C/4 or above)

Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.

Skills

  • Communication skills
  • IT skills
  • Attention to detail
  • Organisation skills
  • Analytical skills
  • Logical
  • Team working

Other requirements

The work can be of a repetitive nature and will involve standing for long periods.

About this employer

ALS is the UK’s leading provider of food and drink testing services. With 6 accredited laboratories located across the UK, ALS offers a comprehensive range of high-quality analytical testing services including microbiological, nutritional, vitamins and minerals, pesticides and contaminants, allergens and speciation.

https://www.als-testing.co.uk/ (opens in new tab)

After this apprenticeship

Upon successful completion of the apprenticeship, you could be offered a permanent position with ALS.

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

CSR SCIENTIFIC TRAINING LIMITED

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000028592.

Apply now

Closes on Friday 19 June 2026