Harriet Bean
Laboratory Scientist (Chemical Science) Degree Apprentice, BASF
Celebrating excellence: Award-Winning apprentice advocating for STEM in the next generation
Meet Harriet Bean, a 4th year Laboratory Science degree apprentice with BASF in Bradford. She recently won the ‘Engineering Apprentice Rising Star’ award at the Make UK Manufacturing Awards (Yorkshire & Humber) 2023. Her next stage is the national awards in January 2024.
In addition to her accomplishments, Harriet has embarked on an outreach programme with Bradford Council. This initiative involves visiting schools to promote apprenticeships, aiming to inspire Year 10 students about the exciting possibilities in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics).
Choosing a degree apprenticeship
I started my apprenticeship at 16, with a Level 3 (L3) apprenticeship in Applied Science. A few people in my family have done apprenticeships in the past and so when I was first considering leaving school to do a L3 apprenticeship, I spoke to them about their experiences. This helped me to understand how quickly they moved up the company rankings as an apprentice, and other benefits such as financial stability and independence, which helped me to realise that this was the route for me.
Once I completed my Level 3, I moved onto the Laboratory Science (Chemical Science) degree apprenticeship with Manchester Met. Now, in my final year of my degree apprenticeship and after five years learning and earning with my company, I’ve just bought my own house.
This was only possible because of the financial stability that my apprenticeship has given me since I was 16, and it’s something I’m proud of.
Career progression
The apprenticeship route has been brilliant for my career progression. I was originally employed as a laboratory technician during my L3, then moved on to becoming an assistant chemist. Once I’d been at the company for three years, I moved on to the role of Quality Coordinator and Process Chemist.
I received my permanent role just a few months ago, before I had even completed my degree apprenticeship. My role now is very diverse, from small scale lab production to handling things such as ISO audits, internal audits, and standards.
One thing that I’ve found particularly beneficial is that at Manchester Met, they place a lot of emphasis on your broader understanding of your business rather than focusing only on your own role.
The University encourage us to meet product managers and regulatory managers and I’ve been proactive in doing that to enable me to understand what happens throughout the business. This means that I understand our products from the initial stages of research and development to the end point where we’re sending them to customers.
Studying with Manchester Met
My tutors have always considered the fact that we’re working four days a week, and they’re very understanding of that, allowing us to have additional time if needed and being in close contact with our employers.
The connection between my tutors and my workplace helps me to address any concerns and talk openly about my assignments and needs.
My manager goes to a few meetings every year with Manchester Met, and he’s told everything we’re going to do that year and he finds it helpful because then if I ask any questions, he’s on the same page straight away.
Now that I’m in my final year, I’m working on my workplace project. The structure of the degree apprenticeship, with its emphasis on understanding the broader business, has made the process of setting up my project to benefit the business needs very smooth.
Also, as I already have contacts in research, I can directly reach out to them for questions via emails and calls. Moreover, understanding aspects like the engineering side of our plant provides me with a broader perspective of how my changes might influence the workplace.
This is crucial because a change in the lab doesn’t necessarily correspond directly to a production plant. Therefore, possessing a wider skill set and understanding of multidisciplinary roles gives me a clear insight into the potential impact of my work.
Promoting STEM apprenticeships to the young generation
I was lucky to be introduced to apprenticeships through a family member when I was considering my next steps at sixteen, but it was a route that was never really talked about by my school. Because of this, I’m passionate about raising awareness of apprenticeships, particularly in the sciences. I’ve always taken part in various events to promote STEM apprenticeships with young people.
It’s about promoting awareness of apprenticeships as an alternative route to A-levels and traditional university degrees, breaking down barriers, busting myths and making them more widely accessible to young people.
In January 2024 I will start working with my company and Bradford Council on an outreach project in local high schools promoting STEM apprenticeships. I will guide groups of students through the application process and answer any questions that they and their parents have.
Winning the Make UK Manufacturing Awards
Last year, my production manager nominated me in the ‘Engineering Rising Star’ category at the Make UK Manufacturing Awards, and I attended the regional award ceremony in October 2023, winning the category.
The recognition of being nominated and the opportunities for exposure and networking meant so much to me that I even cut short a family holiday to Gran Canaria to attend the awards!
Winning was, in large part, thanks to everyone who has shared their knowledge and experiences in the past 5 years; from tutors at Degree Apprenticeships at Manchester Metropolitan University to my colleagues at BASF who have given me the support and environment to confidently progress and realise my ambitions. A piece of my award is dedicated to them!