Join GSK’s Quality Science Apprentice Programme – Irvine UK, 2023: Help us get ahead of disease together

A GSK apprenticeship gives you the chance to earn while you learn. This apprenticeship lasts for three years and is a practical, hands-on apprenticeship based at Irvine - one of our primary Penicillin Manufacturing sites. Please consider this if you are allergic to beta-lactam penicillin.

The Irvine facility is also leading the way on renewable energy use.

We will provide you with the opportunity to develop your skills and knowledge in our Laboratory and Quality team – helping to ensure the quality of our life-saving medicines for our patients.

You will be operating specialist laboratory equipment to test our products and raw materials, learning about the process our product follows through to full scale manufacturing, and sampling and testing at different stages of our processes.

There will be opportunities to do analytical chemistry, data analysis and interpretation, and report writing. You’ll also be developing your personal skills such as reasoning, communication, problem solving, team working, relationship building and influencing.

We are looking for motivated individuals with a willingness and enthusiasm to learn. No prior experience is required as you will be given full training.

If you successfully complete your apprenticeship and demonstrate the qualities we are looking for, you may be offered the opportunity to go on to further education.

Need to know

Irvine is a Penicillin Manufacturing site. Please consider this if you are allergic to beta-lactam penicillin.

Education required:

• must have/be predicted to achieve a minimum of five Scottish National 5s at grade A-C (or five Standard grades at grades 1-3). Must include Maths at a B or above, a Science subject and English at C or above
• one Scottish higher (or equivalent) at grade C or above in Chemistry.

Language requirement: Written and spoken fluency in English

Expected Start date: August 2023

Duration: 3 years

Application deadline: We recommend you apply as soon as possible. We will close this vacancy when we have enough applications, so please apply as soon as you can so your application can be considered.

Assessment Centre Date: March 2023

We want you to be motivated and passionate for the Apprenticeship you apply to – we will only accept ONE Apprenticeship application per candidate each year. Please do your research before applying and select the one Apprenticeship you wish to apply to – good luck with your application!

Are you looking to gain a head start in your career where you can positively impact the health of billions of people?

GSK is a global biopharma company with a special purpose – to unite science, technology and talent to get ahead of disease together. Getting ahead means preventing disease as well as treating it, and we aim to impact the health of 2.5 billion people around the world in the next 10 years.

Our success absolutely depends on our people. We want GSK to be a place where people feel inspired, encouraged and challenged to be the best they can be. A place where they can be themselves – feeling welcome, valued and included. Where they can keep growing and look after their wellbeing. So, if you share our ambition, join us at this exciting moment in our journey to get ahead together.

Find out more: Annual Report 2021

Inspired to help us get ahead together? Apply for the Quality Science Apprenticeship at GSK Irvine today!

As an apprentice at GSK Irvine, you will develop practical skills which will enable you to become a key member of our Laboratory and Quality team – helping to ensure the quality of our life-saving medicines for our patients.

You will also attend college where you will work towards nationally recognised qualifications.

Throughout your apprenticeship you will be supported by your line manager, an early talent programme manager as well as an apprentice buddy who will help you to prepare for joining as well as throughout the apprenticeship.

What will you do?

• Learn how to use laboratory equipment to test pharmaceutical products and raw materials
• Fault find, diagnose & resolve any issues identified during testing
• Take samples of raw materials and finished product
• Carrying out data analysis, interpret data and report writing
• Recommend & action improvements
• Help install and test new equipment.
• Learn business skills with other apprentices
• Complete community projects as part of a team

What do we offer you?

• A competitive starting base salary of £18,000 per year, which increases after year 1
• Eligibility for NUS Extra card providing you with discounts to many high street and online outlets.
• Join NxtGen – a networking group where you can connect with other apprentices internationally.
• An annual bonus based on company performance
• Access to healthcare and well-being programs.
• Company share purchase schemes
• Employee recognition programs, which reward exceptional achievements
• EV charging points in staff car park
• Discounted staff canteen
• On site sports and social club and discounted local gym memberships
• On-the-job experience and formal and informal training and development, delivered through a mixture of coaching, mentoring and formal training programs

Let’s do this!

You’ll find hints, tips and guidance on our recruitment process on our website –

Learn more about the application process | GSK

You can learn more about GSK and our careers here.

Apply now

We’re 100% open to all talent

We’re 100% open to all talent – whatever your gender, marital status, religion, age, colour, race, sexual orientation, nationality or disability. We want to recruit the right people for GSK from the widest possible backgrounds because it’s the right thing to do and so we can better serve the diversity of our patients.

You can learn more about Inclusion and diversity at GSK here.

Need help with your application?

Please email us at [email protected] and let us know how we can help you.

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GSK is a global biopharma company with a special purpose – to unite science, technology and talent to get ahead of disease together – so we can positively impact the health of billions of people and deliver stronger, more sustainable shareholder returns – as an organisation where people can thrive. Getting ahead means preventing disease as well as treating it, and we aim to impact the health of 2.5 billion people around the world in the next 10 years.

Our success absolutely depends on our people. While getting ahead of disease together is about our ambition for patients and shareholders, it’s also about making GSK a place where people can thrive. We want GSK to be a workplace where everyone can feel a sense of belonging and thrive as set out in our Equal and Inclusive Treatment of Employees policy. We’re committed to being more proactive at all levels so that our workforce reflects the communities we work and hire in, and our GSK leadership reflects our GSK workforce.

As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we are open to all talent. In the US, we also adhere to Affirmative Action principles. This ensures that all qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment without regard to neurodiversity, race/ethnicity, colour, national origin, religion, gender, pregnancy, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, age, disability, genetic information, military service, covered/protected veteran status or any other federal, state or local protected class*(*US only).

We believe in an agile working culture for all our roles. If flexibility is important to you, we encourage you to explore with our hiring team what the opportunities are.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you’d like to discuss any reasonable adjustments to our process which might help you demonstrate your strengths and capabilities.

For UK Intern roles (including Industrial Placements) you can either call us on 01582 692870, or send an email [email protected]

For UK Apprentice and Graduate Programme roles (including Future Leaders Programme) you can either call us on 0203 862 2277, or send an email [email protected]

As you apply, we will ask you to share some personal information which is entirely voluntary. We want to have an opportunity to consider a diverse pool of qualified candidates and this information will assist us in meeting that objective and in understanding how well we are doing against our inclusion and diversity ambitions. We would really appreciate it if you could take a few moments to complete it. Rest assured, Hiring Managers do not have access to this information and we will treat your information confidentially.

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