Laboratory Technician (Biology) Degree Apprenticeship (Level 6) - Harper Adams University
Harper Adams Universtiy
Shropshire (TF10 8NB)
Closes in 19 days (Monday 17 November 2025)
Posted on 28 October 2025
Contents
Summary
You will begin as a Laboratory Technician (Level 4). Upon completing key stages of the degree apprenticeship and demonstrating satisfactory performance, you will progress to Level 5 and level 6, becoming a Senior Laboratory Technician. Each level reflects increased complexity and responsibility!
- Wage
-
£15,685 a year
Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)
Term time only, working 32 weeks per year
- Training course
- Scientist (level 6)
- Hours
-
Term time only, working 32 weeks per year.
37 hours per week.
Monday - Friday, 9am - 5pm (flexibility required).
37 hours a week
- Start date
-
Monday 12 January 2026
- Duration
-
2 years 9 months
- 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
The laboratories team, based in the Princess Margaret Laboratories and Elizabeth Creak Building is a central service support team responsible for the provision of laboratory services to the University.
We ensure the provision of practical classes to taught students and support to research students and staff in four key subject areas: Soils and Environmental Science; Microbiology, Molecular Biology and Animal Health; General Biology; Nutrition. We are a happy team consisting of 12 permanent staff with different professional backgrounds and experiences. We also have two placement students.
- Support day-to-day running, safety, and cleanliness of laboratories.
- Handle, store, and dispose of biological specimens (fresh, dried, frozen, or preserved) safely and in compliance with regulations.
- Maintain and operate biological and analytical equipment following standard operating procedures (SOPs).
- Prepare, set up, and clear away materials and specimens for practical classes.
- Source and collect teaching materials such as weeds and anatomical specimens.
- Liaise with tutors to interpret practical class requests, advise on resources, and manage requisitions.
- Assist with and occasionally deliver practical demonstrations.
- Support laboratory inductions and basic skills training for students and staff.
- Participate in team meetings, health and safety inspections, and daily lock-up routines.
- Maintain inventories, procure supplies, and communicate with suppliers and external contacts.
- Undertake relevant training and work toward/maintain professional registration (e.g., RSci).
- Provide routine technical assistance under supervision.
- Follow established procedures for equipment use, safety, and specimen handling.
- Assist with class preparation, demonstrations, and simple laboratory analyses.
- Support research and teaching activities as directed.
- Check and follow risk and COSHH assessments.
- Work more independently in managing laboratory operations and resources.
- Demonstrate and supervise students during practical classes, explaining methods and underlying theory.
- Contribute to developing and adapting techniques for teaching and research.
- Support and deliver laboratory inductions and skills training sessions.
- Conduct laboratory analyses to a publishable standard.
- Advise tutors on class design and resource optimisation.
- Take a lead role in laboratory management, including safety, maintenance, and operational planning.
- Develop and maintain SOPs; author and approve risk and COSHH assessments.
- Supervise placement students and casual staff, including training, task allocation, and performance feedback.
- Design and deliver advanced technical training and inductions.
- Anticipate and plan for teaching and research needs, managing procurement proactively.
- Develop and validate analytical techniques to support research and teaching innovation.
- Provide expert advice to academic staff and collaborate across departments and institutions.
- Hold or actively maintain professional registration (e.g., RSci).
Where you'll work
Harper Adams University
Edgmond
Newport
Shropshire
TF10 8NB
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
TIRO TRAINING LTD
Training course
Scientist (level 6)
Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)
What you'll learn
Course contents
- Identify and apply scientific approaches to solve problems, support investigations and recommend any follow-up experiments.
- Evaluate scientific experiments using an appropriate level of qualitative and quantitative numerical analysis.
- Critically analyse data, relevant literature and input from colleagues to inform investigations.
- Analyse, interpret and evaluate scientific data and present the results in written and oral form.
- Manage record keeping to ensure data integrity, traceability, confidentiality and adherence with appropriate regulatory requirements.
- Promote, enact, document, and monitor the application of quality standards, safe working practices and compliance with risk management systems relevant to the role.
- Identify opportunities to challenge assumptions and apply influencing skills to make improvements, make new proposals and build on existing ideas.
- Manage work plan, prioritise tasks and evaluate progress against objectives.
- Contribute to the development of technical projects across multi-skilled teams and share best practice across the wider business.
- Conduct complex (chemical, or physical, or biological) scientific investigations in accordance with defined company procedures and legislative requirements.
- Identify and implement continuous performance improvement using appropriate techniques.
- Ensure work meets environmental, risk management and sustainability requirements and regulations of the business sector.
- Evaluate own performance and knowledge, and set personal development goals.
- Troubleshoot equipment selection and implement sustainable solutions.
- Identify and collaborate with key stakeholders and provide technical support and advice where required.
- Identify how other roles in the organisation can contribute to achieving sustainability goals.
- Select and apply equipment, techniques, and methods to ensure reliable and accurate results.
- Undertake practical analyses and measurement and communicate the outcomes using appropriate terminology and mathematical and graphical notation.
- Use appropriate digital solutions for the collection and analysis of data, and the retrieval of appropriate information.
- Use communication methods suited to objective and audience.
- Use theoretical models, often involving approximations, to make quantitative predictions.
- Apply chemical concepts and theories to investigations.
- Design, develop and carry out chemical science investigations.
- Recommend synthetic pathways to target-compounds and design experimental activities to test predictions.
- Design and deploy purification, isolation and characterisation strategies, taking account of physicochemical properties of elements and compounds.
- Design, develop and carry out qualitative and quantitative sample preparation, chemical measurement, and analysis.
- Critically compare the results of theoretical or computational modelling with those from experiment and observation.
- Apply physics theories to solve problems that cross scientific discipline boundaries.
- Apply computational techniques to analysis and model physical behaviour.
- Apply physics concepts and theories to investigations.
- Design, develop and carry out physics based investigations.
- Use mathematical techniques and theories to solve physics problems.
- Use computer programming software to solve physics based problems.
- Critically analyse current and emerging developments in the biosciences and the contribution of Biosciences to the wider industry.
- Apply Biological concepts and theories to investigations.
- Design, develop and carry out biological investigations
- Perform tasks related to sample preparation and culturing techniques.
- Use of laboratory automation systems.
- Perform sampling with consideration for sample variation.
- Identify and apply scientific approaches to solve problems, support investigations and recommend any follow-up experiments.
- Evaluate scientific experiments using an appropriate level of qualitative and quantitative numerical analysis.
- Critically analyse data, relevant literature and input from colleagues to inform investigations.
- Analyse, interpret and evaluate scientific data and present the results in written and oral form.
- Manage record keeping to ensure data integrity, traceability, confidentiality and adherence with appropriate regulatory requirements.
- Promote, enact, document, and monitor the application of quality standards, safe working practices and compliance with risk management systems relevant to the role.
- Identify opportunities to challenge assumptions and apply influencing skills to make improvements, make new proposals and build on existing ideas.
- Manage work plan, prioritise tasks and evaluate progress against objectives.
- Contribute to the development of technical projects across multi-skilled teams and share best practice across the wider business.
- Conduct complex (chemical, or physical, or biological) scientific investigations in accordance with defined company procedures and legislative requirements.
- Identify and implement continuous performance improvement using appropriate techniques.
- Ensure work meets environmental, risk management and sustainability requirements and regulations of the business sector.
- Evaluate own performance and knowledge, and set personal development goals.
- Troubleshoot equipment selection and implement sustainable solutions.
- Identify and collaborate with key stakeholders and provide technical support and advice where required.
- Identify how other roles in the organisation can contribute to achieving sustainability goals.
- Select and apply equipment, techniques, and methods to ensure reliable and accurate results.
- Undertake practical analyses and measurement and communicate the outcomes using appropriate terminology and mathematical and graphical notation.
- Use appropriate digital solutions for the collection and analysis of data, and the retrieval of appropriate information.
- Use communication methods suited to objective and audience.
- Use theoretical models, often involving approximations, to make quantitative predictions.
Training schedule
Over 33 months, you will develop your knowledge and skills in your chosen field to become a leader pushing development, knowledge generation and innovation.
You will be provided with 6 hours per week by your employer to conduct learning and training during working hours. This can include theory training (for example, virtual lessons & online learning), alongside practical training (for example shadowing, mentoring, & time spent writing assignments.
You’ll be trained by a team of expert tutors from Tiro as well as an experienced workplace mentor at Harper Adams University who, together, will make sure you develop the knowledge, skills, and work habits you’ll need to succeed in your career.
Requirements
Essential qualifications
GCSE in:
- English (grade 4 / C)
- Maths (grade 4 / C)
- Science (grade 4 / C)
Desirable qualifications
A Level in:
T Level in:
BTEC in:
Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.
Skills
- Communication skills
- Attention to detail
- Problem solving skills
- Administrative skills
- Logical
- Team working
Other requirements
Part of this role will involve occasionally working with large abattoir specimens, so you must be physically fit and comfortable with heavy lifting.
About this employer
Harper Adams University is a welcoming, forward-thinking community of over 600 employees working together to create real, lasting impact – ensuring that everyone, everywhere, can access sustainable food, land, and animal systems. Our work contributes directly to planetary health, animal welfare and ultimately human wellbeing. We’re passionate about what we do – and about the people we do it with. We are deeply committed to the wellbeing and development of our colleagues. Our annual employee survey consistently tells us that staff are proud to work here, feel trusted to do their jobs, and are supported by their managers. Our inclusive and empowering culture is one of the many reasons our people stay, grow, and thrive. Harper Adams is the UK’s leading specialist institution serving the agri-food, animal wellbeing, engineering and land management sectors. We are a world-respected provider of industry-led education and research in food production and technology, animal health, environmental sustainability and sustainable business. Our work is grounded through partnerships – with more than 1,100 organisations in the UK and beyond – that fuel our research, shape our teaching, and deliver genuine impact. Our rural campus near Newport in Shropshire is supported by a growing site in Telford, offering a range of housing options and excellent rail and road connections to the West Midlands and beyond. We’ve invested more than £50 million in our estate in the last decade – including leading-edge teaching, research and veterinary facilities, modern laboratories, and a purpose-built Veterinary Services Centre. Our commercial farm spans 494 hectares and plays an active role in our education, research, and knowledge exchange. We are proud to be the UK’s highest-ranked small specialist provider for the agri-food and animal wellbeing sectors, consistently delivering the largest cohort of graduates into these industries – with over 97 per cent going directly into employment. We currently welcome over 3,000 full- and part-time students across undergraduate and postgraduate courses, including subjects like agricultural engineering, veterinary nursing, business, land and property management, and veterinary medicine and surgery – the latter delivered through the Harper & Keele Veterinary School, established in 2020.
https://www.harper-adams.ac.uk/about/1058/our-university/ (opens in new tab)
Company benefits
22 days leave + bank holidays 8 extra closure days Flexible working Holiday purchase scheme Free staff parking Enhanced maternity and sickness benefits Disability confident employer status Regular training & CPD opportunities
Disability Confident
A fair proportion of interviews for this apprenticeship will be offered to applicants with a disability or long-term health condition. This includes non-visible disabilities and conditions.
You can choose to be considered for an interview under the Disability Confident scheme. You’ll need to meet the essential requirements to be considered for an interview.
After this apprenticeship
There’s no limit to what you can achieve while working with Harper Adams University. Their team is at the heart of what they do, and they are looking for someone who wants to play a key part in that long term. As a successful applicant, you have the potential to secure a full-time position with the business at the end of your apprenticeship.
Through practical ‘on-the-job’ training you’ll have the opportunity to learn new skills to provide competency and responsibility in carrying out testing and to help develop your career. You can look forward to a range of potential career paths in industries such as construction, engineering, aerospace, automotive or research and development. There is a growing demand for skilled professionals who can ensure the quality and reliability of materials used in various sectors!
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
TIRO TRAINING LTD
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000348713.
Apply now
Closes in 19 days (Monday 17 November 2025)
Sign in with your GOV.UK One Login to apply.
After signing in, you’ll apply for this apprenticeship on the company's website.