STUDENTS LEARN ABOUT CAREER OPPORTUNITIES AT GSK

Year 12 Chemistry students and Year 11 Triple Science students had an opportunity to visit the GSK Careers Fair.  Hosted by GSK’s Early Talents team, the students were able to speak to their current apprentices about what careers would be available to them. The apprentices had set up their own stalls and activities to engage students with their different departments, and give them a flavour of their day-to-day roles. Talking to the apprentices was an excellent experience for our students as it quickly became clear how competitive the apprenticeship route is, whilst also showing them the advantages of being able to work in different departments to find the one they enjoyed the most. The staff and apprentices at GSK were very friendly and keen to get our students involved in making play dough, testing products and looking at how products are developed.

Jonny Moffat, in Year 10, said: “Jamie and I made playdough where we had to follow the manufacturing programme so we knew all the processes involved. The engineering stand had a robotic arm which could be programmed to pick up different coloured bottles to show how it can spot faulty products. We also had a go at the pH testing.”

Harriet Rowland-Hill in Year 10, said: “I picked up some leaflets about careers with GSK and had a go at some of the activities they had put on so we could see what kind of work they do there. I tried the pH testing and watched Cormac trying to mix oil and water. I then saw how they could be mixed using an emulsifier.”

Leo Vogel, in Year 12, added: “Visiting GSK provided me with an insight into the world of degree apprenticeships and university alternatives.”

Anna Harrison, Lead Teacher for, said: “This was a fantastic visit for our students who were able to gain an in-depth insight into GSK and their recruitment process. Thank you to Ms Mannion, Careers Lead, for arranging the funding for the transport to the event, and allowing us to be able to provide this opportunity to our students.”

GSK is a leading company in the research and manufacture of vaccines and specialty medicines, maximising the increasing opportunities to prevent and treat disease. At the heart of this is their R&D focus on the science of the immune system, human genetics and advanced technologies, and their world-leading capabilities in vaccines and medicines development. GSK focus on four therapeutic areas: infectious diseases, HIV, oncology, and immunology.

You can find out more about GSK’s Early Talent programmes here.