Laboratory Scientist (ATP) Degree Apprentice - UCB
Cogent Ssc Limited
Slough (SL1 3WE)
Closes in 21 days (Thursday 30 April 2026)
Posted on 8 April 2026
Contents
Summary
We are offering two exciting apprenticeship opportunities for enthusiastic A-level students to join our Antibody production teams. These roles are ideal for candidates passionate about science and eager to gain hands-on experience in a real laboratory environment while working towards a recognised qualification.
- Wage
-
£21,000 a year
- Training course
- Scientist (level 6)
- Hours
-
Monday - Friday, 09:00 - 17:30 with a 1 hour unpaid lunch break.
37 hours 30 minutes a week
- Start date
-
Tuesday 1 September 2026
- Duration
-
5 years
- Positions available
-
2
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
What you will learn:
You will receive structured training and day-to-day mentoring from experienced scientists
Skills you will develop include:
Mammalian cell culture:
- Aseptic technique and sterile workflow
- Thawing, expanding and maintaining mammalian cell lines
- Setting up and monitoring small scale cultures
- Supporting upstream processes for antibody expression
Molecular Biology & Microbial Techniques:
- DNA extraction, and basic cloning workflows
- Transformation and culture of microbial strains
- Plasmid preparation, sequence and quality checks
- Understanding expression vectors and constructs design
Purification & Analytical Techniques:
- Setting up and running of automated purification platforms
- Purification column/resin maintenance
- Monoclonal antibody specific purification techniques
- Recovery & purity analytical techniques and data interpretation
Laboratory Operations:
- Accurate record-keeping and data entry
- Preparation of buffers, media and reagents
- Routine equipment maintenance and calibration
- Following SOPs, quality standards, and health & safety procedures
Key Responsibilities:
- Assist in the day-to-day running of the antibody production labs
- Support scientists with experimental setup and sample processing
- Maintain clean, organised laboratory spaces
- Monitor cultures and report observations to the team
- Participate in team meetings and contribute to continuous improvement initiatives
Who we are looking For:
- Currently studying A-levels (or recently completed), including Biology or Chemistry
- Strong interest in laboratory science and biotechnology
- Good attention to detail and willingness to learn
- Reliable, organised and comfortable working in a team
- Positive attitude and proactive approach to problem solving
Training & Development:
- Formal apprenticeship training delivered through an accredited provider
- On the job learning with experienced mentors
- Opportunities to work across different laboratory functions
Where you'll work
216 Bath Road
Slough
SL1 3WE
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
THE UNIVERSITY OF KENT
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
Training for this apprenticeship will be completed online
Requirements
Essential qualifications
GCSE in:
A Level 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
- Organisation skills
- Problem solving skills
- Presentation skills
- Administrative skills
- Analytical skills
- Logical
- Team working
About this employer
As the specialists in skills for science and technology, our purpose is to make sure your business; your people and our industry are future ready. We are a not-for-profit charitable organisation with a family of commercially focused companies committed to supporting the skills, needs and ambitions across the UK science and technology sector.
https://cogentskills.com/vacancies/ (opens in new tab)
Company benefits
- Holiday Allowance - 28 Days Holiday Allowance, plus Bank Holidays
- Pension - Employee 5%, Employer 3%
- Casual Dress
- Discount schemes
- Employee assistance programme
- Gym membership
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
- Upon successful completion of the apprenticeship, you will be eligible to apply for other positions within the business
- The training will expose the apprentice to a wide range of skills and competencies which would make them well placed for further study or suitable for many job opportunities in the life sciences sector
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
Cogent Ssc Limited
Tom Bretherton
thomas.bretherton@cogentskills.com
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000024945.
Apply now
Closes in 21 days (Thursday 30 April 2026)
After signing in, you’ll apply for this apprenticeship on the company's website.