Apprentice Laboratory Technician

Summary

Join the Nuffield Department of Women’s and Reproductive Health (WRH) as a Laboratory Apprentice at the John Radcliffe Hospital. Gain hands-on experience supporting laboratory operations while developing skills in equipment management, Health and Safety, purchasing and human tissue governance within a leading research environment.

Wage

£26,686 a year

Training course

Laboratory technician (level 3)

Hours

Monday - Friday, 9am-5pm.

36 hours 30 minutes a week

Start date

Tuesday 1 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

You will be fully trained to carry out the following responsibilities.

• Learn general laboratory Management and Administration, including appropriate Health and Safety procedures to maintain a safe working environment
• Comply with the quality standards, safe working practices, environment and risk management systems relevant to the workplace
• Learn how to be responsible for the management of waste disposal generated in the laboratory
• Learn how to be responsible for the routine maintenance and cleaning of laboratory equipment
• Learn how to manage the laboratory consumables in the ‘Lab Shop’(budget management, stock control and re-charging)
• Learn safe manual handling and safe use of gas cylinders and liquid nitrogen
• Learn basic IT support, information security and data storage for biological sample management
• Learn how to be responsible for the organising and distribution of incoming goods
• Train as a first-aider
• Assist in the management of biological sample storage
• Carry out disinfection and cleaning of laboratory equipment
• Assist in preparation of compounds and solutions for communal use
• Help keep laboratory areas clean and tidy

Where you'll work

Nuffield Department of Women's & Reproductive Health
John Radcliffe Hospital
Headington
OX3 9DU

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)

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 4 HNC in Applied Biology

The majority of your learning will be completed online once a week with some face-to-face practical sessions/exams in Birmingham.

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)

A Level in:

Science (grade C 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
• Problem solving skills
• Analytical skills
• Logical
• Team working
• Keen interest in science

Other requirements

• You must have been a UK resident for a minimum of 3 years to be eligible for this position
• If you already hold a BSc or MSc in a closely related field, you will be ineligible for apprenticeship funding
• To give yourself the best chance, please ensure your application is genuine and written in your own words. Applications created solely with AI tools may not be accepted