Process Engineer Review

Being based at Barnard Castle has given me a great insight into the buzz of pharmaceutical manufacturing and how exciting and critical the industry is. I really enjoyed the fact that there was so much going on and so much to get involved with both inside and outside of work. Outside of my day to day role I volunteered at STEM events and careers fairs as well as at a children's summer camp, which were all really enjoyable further development opportunities.

During my time on placement I had the opportunity to take on my own projects which were critical to the business. These involved a lot of hard work, however I do not feel like this went unnoticed as I was nominated and awarded for two awards during my placement; GSK IP of the month and the Barnard Castle early talent award. I also felt I got a lot of helpful feedback and positive reassurance along the way, which all contributed to me feeling a valued part of the team.

During the first couple of months of my placement I worked closely with my manager to understand GSK expectations and gain knowledge of the site. It was very useful to be working in the same team as her, so I could regularly check in and seek guidance which enabled my development. Furthermore, during times that my supervisor was on annual leave, I felt supported by her management system and many other members of the team. Despite having a lot of support, I also had a sense of independence and responsibility, which was a great environment to work in.

At the start of my placement, naturally my days were less busy as I had a lot of mandatory training to complete. Being both new to GSK and new to industry, I also had a huge amount to learn before I could be given any real responsibilities of my own. However, as I progressed through my placement and gained my own projects I became a lot more busy in a sense that organisation and time scheduling was critical. Being busy on a daily basis meant I felt extremely engaged in my placement.

I am extremely grateful for the projects and the high level of responsibility that I have been given on my placement. In particular, I managed the delivery of a business critical project. At the time this was a difficult experience, working in a high pressure environment, however upon reflection it was a huge development opportunity, which has increased both my confidence and resilience.

Working under pressure during my placement has aided my personal development, learning how to manage my time, prioritise tasks and knowing when to seek guidance and support through the strength of team work. Challenging myself through interfacing with different contractors has really increased my communication and professional conduct skills. I will be able to draw on these traits and experiences which I can take with me through the rest of my career and life (including now being fluent in phone communication!). Furthermore, I have worked alongside extremely experienced and knowledgeable engineers who have inspired and motivated me to develop and learn more so I can thrive in a career of this calibre.

Due to the nature of the project I was working on, the office atmosphere was often bustling and busy. Most people would spend a mixture of their time out on the plant site and in the office, so people were always in and out. However, there was definitely a fun community and team atmosphere as well.

Overall I think the placement was well set up, with a clear induction and training programme already in place. Simple things like ensuring IT equipment and a desk space were ready meant I felt instantly more comfortable. The site took on 13 other students at the same time, with a GSK employee as the site placement lead who was a good point of contact for the year and ensured it ran smoothly. This also enabled a placement student community was built which was a great network.

I feel this aspect of my placement would have been enhanced if COVID-19 had not come about and changed the ways of working on site, allowing more opportunities to occur. However, I was lucky enough to go on a visit to a primary manufacturing site early on in the year. This gave me a wider view of pharmaceutical manufacture, enhancing my commercial awareness.

I feel extremely motivated to work in the pharmaceutical industry and especially at GSK after my placement year. GSK have so many great roles and opportunities that I would really love to get involved with and I am looking at applying for their future leader graduate programme. This scheme aims to rotate you through different sites and roles, enhancing your range of experience. This is extremely appealing to me, especially after visiting a primary manufacturing site, I would now love the chance to get to work there as well!

The Barnard Castle site took on 14 industrial placement students. We had a really strong sense of community, holding a monthly catch up meeting to learn about each others placements and build our networks. We also spent a lot of time socialising outside of work, going for walks, playing sports and going to quiz nights etc! Furthermore, there are a lot of apprentices and some graduates also on site and we did enjoy one big social together before lockdown!

Renting accommodation in Barnard Castle was extremely cheap, especially compared to the cost of University accommodation. I lived in a 3 bed flat with only 1 other person as it was still a lot cheaper than what we were used to when split between the 2 of us! The only consideration was that the flat was unfurnished, however this was manageable with the help of family, friends and charity shops!

The nightlife in Barnard Castle is very limited... there are a few really nice pubs to go to, however I would not describe anything as a 'club'! Saying that, Darlington is only a 30 minute drive away where the nightlife is a lot more bustling (we went here for our big socials) and Newcastle is only a further 30 minute train journey from Darlington!

There were many work related development opportunities, including STEM events and University career fairs. GSK also has a sports and social club which offers reduced price gym memberships and hosts a weekly pub quiz. Within the community there are brownie/ guide groups to volunteer at and sporting and music clubs to join.