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Working Abroad Job Vacancies Job Hunting Guide Voluntary Work Working Part-time and Temping Useful Job Hunting Resources Working in Somerset Wages and Employment Rights Laboratory Technicians in Somerset CLCI: QOX CRCI: TD Laboratory technicians carry out experiments, test raw materials, record data and analyse and diagnose test results. Tests are sometimes carried out by hand but much of the work involves using hi-tech computerised machinery. They work in a wide range of organisations including schools, chemical and drugs companies, food manufacturers, rubber and plastic manufacturers, hospitals, councils, government research laboratories and water companies. To find out more look under the above CLCI/CRCI headings in your Careers or Connexions library THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT LABORATORY TECHNICIANS IN SOMERSET Somerset does not have as many laboratories as other parts of the country. Most laboratory technicians in Somerset either work in a manufacturing or health environment. Manufacturers with laboratories include food, drink and leather companies. Health-related laboratories can be found in hospitals, pharmacies and opticians. HOW DO I GET STARTED?   Get work experience when at school to see if it’s the career for you   Go to college/sixth-form full-time to do A levels or a BTEC science course   Start as a trainee – or apprentice – and go to college as part of your job USEFUL QUALIFICATIONS   Good GCSEs in maths, English and science are likely to be required   A levels or BTEC National qualifications (science, food technology, etc) may be needed for jobs at age 18 and over   NVQs in science-related subjects (often through day-release from work) More about qualifications, courses and training can be found in Moving On (published by Connexions Somerset) DO YOU KNOW? There are a lot of food and drink companies in Somerset. See the food technician article in this series for more information WHAT IS THE PAY LIKE? Around £80 per week (maybe more) if starting as a new employed trainee or apprentice. As a 16/17 year old you could earn £100-120 per week in some jobs (£120-175 per week as an 18 year old). With experience earnings vary enormously from around £13,000 to £20,000 depending on the employer. FINDING A JOB   Connexions centres   Job centres   Through applying for work apprenticeships   School and college careers notice boards   Speculative letters/visits/emails   Newspaper and industry publications adverts   Adverts displayed at premises and on industry/company websites   Job offer after work experience   Word of mouth   A Guide to Job Hunting gives tips on CVs, interviews and job letters. To view click here OTHER THINGS TO CONSIDER ABOUT THIS WORK   The work can be very routine at first (and can continue to be so sometimes)   It’s a good idea to think about the differences between manufacturing and health laboratory work   You need to be very precise in your work (you are responsible for any mistakes!)   Government regulations and health and safety are very important   There is a lot of paperwork because you need to record results and what you do   IT skills are important for analysis, diagrams and recording   Some jobs might accept you with GCSEs but others will prefer you to be a bit older and more-qualified   It’s worth thinking about university if you want a higher-level scientific job WHO DOES THE WORK? Adam (19) lives near Yeovil and did A levels at college. He knew he wanted a scientific career but wasn’t sure exactly what path to follow. Adam noticed an advert for a trainee post in a hospital medical laboratory and successfully applied. He is learning different aspects of the work as part of a two-year structured training programme that includes doing a HNC in medical laboratory sciences Raveena (20) started as an apprentice laboratory technician in a manufacturing company in South Somerset. She has worked her way up by doing various NVQ and BTEC qualifications on day-release to college. Things are going really well and next year she will be starting a part-time university science degree. Raveena plans to use this to become a laboratory manager More Info: A-Z Careers Careers information dates rapidly. Every effort has been made to ensure information is accurate but please check details before making firm decisions. Make text larger Make text smaller Text Only Display Privacy Policy/Terms of Use