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Did you know this week is National Apprenticeship Week 2021?

What better way to get involved than celebrating our most recent Apprentice Award Winners from the 2020 NEPIC Annual Industry Awards!

Read on to find out more about our current Apprenticeship Winners!

Apprentice of the Year – Manufacturing, Current
Molly Conroy, Laboratory Analyst, GSK

 

A third-year apprentice, current winner, Molly Conroy, is currently working towards a foundation degree in Applied Chemistry.

From the beginning, Molly went above and beyond to challenge herself, quickly becoming an established member of the team and accomplished analyst across numerous techniques and multiple laboratory settings.

Molly has also gained skills outside of the general curricula, training in the site’s change management process to install a water still within one of the labs. She successfully led the project coordinating a variety of teams ensure it was delivered safety, compliantly and on time.

Not only has she achieved real results in the laboratory and her studies, Molly is also a passionate STEM Ambassador, promoting STEM careers and apprenticeships, planning and delivering workshops and delivering multiple presentations. She is also the Northern Region Lead in GSK’s apprentice forum and an apprentice ‘buddy’ at the Barnard Castle site.

During her time as an apprentice, Molly has continually stepped outside of her comfort zone which in turn has seen her confidence to soar and sights set high on her future career with GSK.

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Apprentice of the Year – Service & Supply Chain
Ben Gay, Laboratory Technician, CPI

NEPIC’s current Supply Chain Apprentice of the Year, Ben Gay, is a degree level laboratory technician at CPI’s Biologics site studying Biological Sciences at Teesside University.

Ben started his apprenticeship journey as part of the operations team before a move to the Downstream team where he took on responsibility for many of the tasks associated with a busy and smoothly run Biotech laboratory.

Described by his peers as a technically accomplished, high performing and talented scientist, Ben shows the presence and confidence of someone with more time spent in the laboratory. Able to build on the background gained from his studies and effectively apply it to current projects, Ben has developed knowledge and experience that
has been invaluable to CPI, and his participation in projects highly prized.

During Ben’s time at CPI, is has gained widespread knowledge and experience across a range of industries working on both commercial and collaborative projects with academia, suppliers and technical specialists. In short Ben is a shining example of what can be achieved by the apprenticeship program.

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Apprentice of the Year – Manufacturing, Completed
Laura Lee, Microbiological Technologist , GSK

Working as a Microbiologist Technologist at Barnard Castle’s GSK, NEPIC’s current winner completed her three year apprenticeship in the summer of 2019 during which time receiving a phenomenal five Global Employee Recognition awards.

Laura has proactively been involved in adapting new technologies and helping colleagues to work effectively including a new sterility testing isolator and environmental monitoring procedures within the production facilities.

Laura has also made significant performance contributions – working to simplify activities and processes – one of which involved the formation and continued improvement of a resource management tool. Furthermore, she continually promotes EHS improvements and challenges unsafe behaviours.

Not only does she go the extra mile at work, Laura has taken the time to become a real advocate for apprenticeships and STEM careers taking part in numerous extra-curricular activities. A STEM ambassador, Laura attends schools, leads department tours and plays an active role in the site’s learning and innovation festival.

Laura’s ability to seek out new and different challenges on a consistent basis and quickly get up to speed when taking assignments, her enthusiasm to learn and development into a Microbiological Technologist is obvious to all who meet her, and this paired with her academic qualifications makes for a very talented individual. 

Find out more about Apprenticeships here.

Take a look at another one of our #NAW2021 posts, here.

#NAW2021 #BuildTheFuture 

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