Network engineer (Level 4) Apprenticeship - UCB
Cogent Ssc Limited
Slough (SL1 3WE)
Closes in 19 days (Monday 24 August 2026)
Posted on 4 August 2026
Contents
Summary
As an IT Lab Support Engineer within DTPS, you will play a key role in ensuring the reliability, performance, and compliance of laboratory IT systems. You will work at the intersection of technology and science, supporting lab operations by maintaining critical applications, infrastructure, and equipment connectivity.
- Wage
-
£21,000 a year
- Training course
- Network engineer (level 4)
- Hours
-
Monday to Friday, 09:00 - 17:30 (including one hour unpaid lunch).
10:00 - 15:30 core hours, with remaining hours made up around these times.
37 hours 30 minutes a week
- Start date
-
Monday 7 September 2026
- Duration
-
1 year 6 months
- 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
Acquired skills at the end of the apprenticeship:
- Ability to support a pharmaceutical company’s lab environment
- Support a company relocation (Slough to Windlesham)
- Building relationship/trust with key stakeholders
- Windows lifecycle management (upgrade OS and associated software)
- Hardware lifecycle management (replace hardware and migrate data)
- Work with instrument vendors and onboard new vendor supplied PCs
- Build PCs and VM clients using UCB’s image deployment system
- Maintain accurate records of lab assets within the Lab Inventory system
- Write LDAP queries to find Active Directory membership (Users and Computers)
- Run PowerShell queries and create reports with the output
- Create reports in Excel using formulas (e.g. VLOOKUP)
- Manage PCs in CommVault (backup and restore)
- Use Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE)
- Deploy software via Microsoft Configuration Manager (SCCM)
- Assess patch level of PC and manually apply correct Windows cumulative updates
- Install and configure enterprise applications such as:
Unicorn
Empower
Biacore
ForeCyt
Configure and manage VMware Horizon pools - Manage VM clients via vSphere
- Perform network patching
- Competent in the use of RACS (Remote Access, Control and Support)
- Install/replace computer hardware (e.g. hard drives, graphics cards etc.)
- Clone hard drives and recover data
- Basic understanding of relational databases (schema design)
- Use IT Tools such as Active Directory tools and ITSM (IT helpdesk tickets/requests)
- Basic understanding of network segmentation and VLANs
- Perform network performance testing via script and monitoring tools
- Issue troubleshooting
- Configuring CCTV systems
- Basic understanding of lab robotics and automation
- IT support requests and process workflows
Where you'll work
208 Bath Rd
Slough
SL1 3WE
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
TECHNICAL PROFESSIONALS LIMITED
Training course
Network engineer (level 4)
Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)
What you'll learn
Course contents
- Apply tools and techniques when securely operating and testing networks.
- Install and configure network components.
- Implement tools and techniques to monitor, identify, analyse and record systems performance in line with defined specifications.
- Maintain security of the network against potential threats.
- Apply tools and or techniques to gather information to troubleshoot issues and or isolate, repair or escalate faults.
- Communicate outcomes of tasks and record actions in line with organisational procedures.
- Upgrade, apply and test components to systems configurations ensuring that the system meets the organisation’s requirements and minimises downtime.
- Interpret information and or specifications received from a manager, customer or technical specialist and accurately implement the defined requirements.
- Implement techniques to optimise systems or component performance in line with defined specifications.
- Apply the required level of responsibility when organising and prioritising work tasks, clients’ or stakeholders’ requests in line with SLAs and organisation processes.
- Explain their job role within the business context to stakeholders to enable a clear understanding on both sides of what their remit is and convey technical constraints.
- Operate securely, and apply process, policies and legislation within their business responsibilities.
- Configure and maintain network addressing in line with customer requirements.
- Ensure compliance of network engineering outputs with change management processes including Secure Access Service Edge SASE or Zero-trust networking .
- Apply tools and techniques when securely operating and testing networks.
- Install and configure network components.
- Implement tools and techniques to monitor, identify, analyse and record systems performance in line with defined specifications.
- Maintain security of the network against potential threats.
- Apply tools and or techniques to gather information to troubleshoot issues and or isolate, repair or escalate faults.
- Communicate outcomes of tasks and record actions in line with organisational procedures.
- Upgrade, apply and test components to systems configurations ensuring that the system meets the organisation’s requirements and minimises downtime.
- Interpret information and or specifications received from a manager, customer or technical specialist and accurately implement the defined requirements.
- Implement techniques to optimise systems or component performance in line with defined specifications.
- Apply the required level of responsibility when organising and prioritising work tasks, clients’ or stakeholders’ requests in line with SLAs and organisation processes.
- Explain their job role within the business context to stakeholders to enable a clear understanding on both sides of what their remit is and convey technical constraints.
- Operate securely, and apply process, policies and legislation within their business responsibilities.
- Configure and maintain network addressing in line with customer requirements.
- Ensure compliance of network engineering outputs with change management processes including Secure Access Service Edge SASE or Zero-trust networking .
Training schedule
Training for this apprenticeship will be completed online.
Requirements
Essential qualifications
GCSE in:
Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.
Skills
- IT skills
- Attention to detail
- Problem solving skills
- Administrative skills
- Analytical skills
- Logical
- Team working
- Initiative
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)
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
Your earnings can increase over time with an apprenticeship. Find out about potential future pay (opens in new tab).
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 VAC2000046237.
Apply now
Closes in 19 days (Monday 24 August 2026)
After signing in, you’ll apply for this apprenticeship on the company's website.