Apprentice Laboratory Technician

CVS Veterinary Group; Retford; On-site; GBP 17,000 - 21,000; Full time

Job summary

Slate Hall Veterinary Services in Cambridge offers an 16‑month Level 3 Laboratory Technician Apprenticeship. You will train in a real diagnostic lab, starting with fundamentals and progressively taking on more responsibility while ensuring accuracy and adherence to procedures.

You don’t need previous lab experience; the team will support you as you learn, gain practical skills, and earn a Level 3 qualification while you work with real poultry industry diagnostics.

Qualifications

• Interest in science and willingness to learn
• Keen attention to detail and accuracy in work
• Ability to follow instructions and work as part of a team

Responsibilities

• Assist in receiving and preparing samples for testing
• Support serology and microbiology sample processing
• Learn laboratory techniques and maintain equipment and records
• Work to documented procedures and ISO 17025 awareness

Skills

Keen to learn

Attention to detail

Team player

Reliable

Education

Maths English grade 4/C+ desirable

Job description

Apprentice Laboratory Technician

Slate Hall Veterinary Services | Cambridge

Full-time | Level 3 Laboratory Technician Apprenticeship | Approximately 16 months

Want to start a career in science?

Are you interested in science but not sure what comes next?

Would you like to work in a real laboratory, learn practical skills, earn while you train and gain a recognised Level 3 qualification?

If so, we'd like to hear from you.

Slate Hall Veterinary Services

is a specialist veterinary laboratory based in Cambridge. We provide diagnostic testing to the poultry industry, helping veterinary practices and poultry producers monitor and investigate the health of their flocks.

We're looking for an Apprentice Laboratory Technician to join our laboratory team.

You don't need previous laboratory experience. What matters to us is that you're keen to learn, reliable, curious and take pride in doing things properly.

What will you actually be doing?

You’ll be working alongside our experienced laboratory team and learning how a busy diagnostic laboratory operates.

Your training will start with the fundamentals and, as your knowledge and confidence develop, you’ll take on more laboratory work and responsibility.

Your day-to-day work could include:

• Receiving and preparing samples for testing.
• Preparing blood and other veterinary samples for serology testing.
• Processing microbiological samples, including swabs and other routine samples.
• Learning the principles and practical techniques behind microbiological testing.
• Preparing culture media, solutions and reagents.
• Using and maintaining laboratory equipment.
• Cleaning and maintaining laboratory work areas.
• Entering and checking laboratory data and results.
• Learning how laboratory samples are tracked from receipt through to reporting.
• Working to documented procedures and quality standards.
• Learning about laboratory quality and ISO 17025.
• Helping investigate problems when something doesn't go as expected.
• Identifying opportunities to improve the way we work.

You’ll be supported by experienced members of the team throughout your apprenticeship. You won’t be expected to know everything on day one - that's what the apprenticeship is for.

What makes Slate Hall different?

We’re not a classroom pretending to be a laboratory.

You’ll be working in a busy veterinary diagnostic laboratory, alongside people who carry out testing every day for real customers and real poultry businesses.

Our work contributes to the monitoring and control of important poultry diseases, including Salmonella, and you’ll get to see how laboratory testing fits into the wider veterinary and poultry industry.

You’ll learn why accuracy matters, why good laboratory practice matters and why sometimes the smallest detail can make a big difference to a result.

You’ll also become part of our existing laboratory team. We want our apprentice to learn from the people around them, ask questions, get involved and, over time, become someone the team can rely on.

Your apprenticeship

Alongside your work at Slate Hall, you’ll complete a Level 3 Laboratory Technician Apprenticeship.

The apprenticeship takes approximately 16 months and combines workplace experience with online and in-person learning and tutor support.

You’ll learn about:

• Working safely in a laboratory.
• Laboratory science and technical knowledge relevant to your workplace.
• Laboratory data and record keeping.
• Laboratory investigations and quality requirements.
• Problem solving and error reporting.
• Improving laboratory processes and procedures.
• Preparing for your End Point Assessment.

The aim isn’t simply to get you through an apprenticeship. We want to help you develop into a competent Laboratory Technician.

What are we looking for?

You don’t need to have worked in a laboratory before.

We’re looking for someone who:

• Is genuinely interested in science.
• Wants to understand how things work.
• Enjoys practical, hands‑on work.
• Has good attention to detail.
• Can follow instructions and procedures carefully.
• Is reliable and organised.
• Is comfortable working as part of a team.
• Isn’t afraid to ask questions.
• Can recognise when something doesn’t look right and tell someone.
• Takes pride in producing accurate work.
• Is willing to learn from mistakes and improve.
• Has a positive attitude and is prepared to get stuck in.

A Grade 4/C or above in Maths and English is desirable but not essential for the apprenticeship.

A science qualification would be useful, but we’re more interested in your potential than your previous experience.

This could be the start of your career

If you’re looking for your first step into laboratory science, this is an opportunity to gain a qualification without having to choose between studying and working.

You’ll earn while you learn, gain practical experience in a specialist veterinary laboratory and work alongside an experienced team.

And if you enjoy the work and successfully complete your apprenticeship, there is the opportunity to build on what you’ve learned and develop your career within the laboratory.

Interested?

If you think this sounds like you, we’d love to hear from you.

Come and learn with us at Slate Hall Veterinary Services and start your career in laboratory science.